Most people are acquainted with the idea of physical property and take the required precautions to protect it, such as acquiring insurance against fire or theft, or inquiring experts for advice in ways to handle, buy or sell it. There is a different type of property that concerns those people who are participating in creative activities. This kind of property is called intellectual property, and it is equally important to protect as any tangible property. Thankfully, there are professionals who have the expertise to assist in the security of this valuable property.

Initially, intellectual property should be defined. Even though the term has been in use since around 500 BC, when Greek chefs were given exclusive right to the dishes they invented, it encompasses a lot more these days than what could have ever been imagined in that time. Examples of this kind of property nowadays include original written works, inventions, software, photographs, music, art and even maps, which might be copyrighted, trade secrets and designs. Although the list isn't complete, it gives an idea about the type of property; the typical factor is that it is intangible in nature: an inventive idea that has value and a need to be guarded from misappropriation or misuse. Next, selected illustrations will be explored.

One subject of concern is the licensing of art. This is carried out whenever an artist desire to sell the right to someone to utilize his or her art for the other's advantage. For example, an artist paints a magnificent scene of a local city park. The city would want to utilize this artwork as a part of a marketing campaign for a summer concert series. The artist would license his or her art to the city for its use. To set properly the conditions and remuneration for the use of the art, it is in the artist's very best interest to consult with a lawyer, who is experienced in these matters.

Design is yet another example that may contain a number of subcategories. It may consist of the architectural design and style of an establishment, the unique and new design of a widget or the aesthetic design of an object of industry. The design starts as intangible by its creator, and might be created into one thing, which is concrete by another party to whom the inventor grants license.

Copyright and Literary rights are often associated, but they be can be simply contrasted. An author has literary rights before publication. Copyright is the right to publish and sell the work. The manuscript is the author's until that person has arrangements with the publisher. The publisher, generally, will likely then hold the copyright and ability to sell the final work. A comparable concern for authors is the submission release. This is a waiver that protects the company to whom the writer sends in an unsolicited work, in the event the business produces anything similar. It is clever for the writer to have legal representation coming from somebody knowledgeable.

Lastly, intangible works can be licensed. Just as with the licensing of art outlined in the example above, an individual may license his or her work for the use of another. A software designer could license his or her work to a company for allocation, or to the consumer. A composer may license his or her works to be used in a television production. The licensing of a work is simply giving the right to utilize the work in a designated manner by the inventor of the work. The inventor keeps authorship; nonetheless, the licensee is issued right of use.

A person who participates in the invention of things that are intangible must guard his or her intellectual property rights as surely as he or she would protect his or her tangible property. Just like a person usually takes the preventative measure of depositing money inside the bank or valuables into a safe, the innovative thoughts and intangible property should be guarded by someone who is adept in that area of law.