It’s no secret that copyright and patent laws, as well as intellectual property laws, have been undergoing radical rethinking since the advent of the internet. It’s also no secret that copyrighted material is more easily lifted than ever, due to the ease of digital sharing. However the extent of this threat, and what can be done about it, is not often addressed. Here are three things you need to know before you bring your intellectual property out into the world.
1. Almost one quarter of Internet traffic is dedicated to obtaining, or consuming infringed media
With the slew of lawsuits in recent years and the decimation of major media institutions, it’s a wonder that this number isn’t a bit higher. Widespread piracy is a reality in the 21st century, and no one is immune.
2. A sizable percentage of intellectual property thefts originate from the inside of a business or organization
Around 35% of theft cases in the IT field are inside jobs, followed by 13% in banking and finance and 12% in chemical industry. Former employees are frequently a threat to their companies, accounting for 21% of intellectual property attacks, while business partners account for 175.
3. Intellectual property theft litigation has increased astronomically
As a post-industrial society, the U.S. economy depends on intellectual property, which accounts for 40% of our economic growth. The U.S. is driven by creative workers, who in turn, ensure their livelihoods through copyrights and patents. It makes sense that people and businesses are more protective of their intellectual property than ever, signaled by a whopping 80% increase in intellectual property theft cases in 2010, which then rose by another 23% in 2011.
With the many threats to intellectual property it is important that you do your research on how to patent intellectual property, length of patent protection (length of patent protection can vary considerably), and intellectual property theft.
