It is the responsibility of every person to protect their intellectual property from counterfeiters. Registering intellectual property gives an innovator the necessary protection that he or she needs incase of any infringement (National Association of Music Merchants par. 1).
Innovators can only defend themselves in a court of law if their intellectual property is registered. Local and international intellectual property rights differ in some ways which makes it necessary for innovators to seek for professional advice in protecting their intellectual property (Barrett 35).
Innovators lose millions of their sales locally and internationally due to the infringement of intellectual property rights (National Association of Music Merchants par. 2). Registering intellectual property in key foreign markets is one of the greatest challenges that innovators face. The process of securing intellectual property is very costly and complicated which makes it necessary to seek the help of a professional. This paper will discuss the process of registering intellectual property both locally and internationally.
The first step in securing intellectual property involves coming up with the right strategy that can be used to protect an intellectual property (Barrett 56). Anti-counterfeit devices are very critical in enhancing the protection of an intellectual property if they are utilized in the best way possible. It is important to come up with an appropriate and relevant strategy that is suitable for the category of intellectual property under protection (Barrett 123).
It is important for innovators to protect their intellectual property in a timely manner before their plans are jeopardized by counterfeiters. Foreign partners are very important in protecting an intellectual property in key foreign markets (Wood 68). Intellectual property provisions should be formulated by the innovator incase of international registration. The international market involves subcontracting that requires special provisions (Wood 69).
Infringement is common in some key foreign markets and this makes it necessary for innovators to register their intellectual property defensively (Barrett 109). It is important for innovators to get in touch with the relevant government agencies in countries where violations are common to ensure that there is no any kind of infringement. An innovator should have adequate information on the process of registering intellectual property in foreign markets before going ahead with their plan (Barrett 158).
Government agencies in charge of intellectual property registration provide proof of ownership in the local and foreign markets. Innovators can research on the internet for information on how to register their intellectual property in a foreign country (Wood 169). Copyright laws and provisions vary from one country to another and this one of the major challenges in registering intellectual property at the international market.
International businessmen should obtain the required certifications from Customs and Border Protection Agencies to avoid complication in registering their intellectual property in another country (National Association of Music Merchants par. 5).
Informing various administrative bodies in a foreign country enables the authorities in that country to be in a better position to confiscate counterfeits. Innovators should have representatives in each foreign country for effective monitoring. Foreign markets need a representative to conduct a market research and enhance good public relations (National Association of Music Merchants par. 6).
The physical presence of a representative scares counterfeiters in a foreign country. Intellectual property rights do not mean anything if there is no monitoring. The situation becomes worse in a foreign country that is known for intellectual property rights violation (Barrett 198). Businessmen and other innovators should take good care of their registration records and adoption documents for them to be in a better position to defend themselves incase of any infringement.
Works Cited
Barrett, Margreth. Intellectual Property, New York, NY: Aspen Publishers Online, 2008. Print.
National Association of Music Merchants. Intellectual Property Rights: Six Cost-Effective Steps on how to Protect these Intangible Assets, 2012. Web.
Wood, Phillip. Comparative Law of Security Interests and Title Finance, London: Sweet & Maxwell, 2007. Print.