Methods Of Protecting Your Intellectual Property On The Internet

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By Dan Martin

The widespread network and access of the internet has made policy makers come together and work upon how best to safeguard intellectual property of all the content that is posted online everyday.

Almost any original piece of content on the internet, from videos and graphics to images and textual content, can be intellectual property. An original work can be protected from infringement by attaching a copyright notice that will state the terms and conditions of its lawful use. The notice should include a declaration that the content is protected by copyright and that any replication, publication or further reproduction of it by anyone else should not be done without prior authorization of the owner.

A trademark sign (TM) on a brand name or a logo can go a long way in safeguarding your brand related IP on the internet. A watermark on content types like pictures is also a good idea, so that copyright violators are prevented from posting the same image or video on their blogs, forums or websites.

A key question is how to ensure continuous monitoring so that your IP is protected and is not being used by dishonest individuals. There are several solutions available for this. For example, you can do this by using a software specifically designed to find any online infringement of IP, especially for textual matter. A keyword search for your trademarks can also inform you if your trademarked brand has been violated. Some firms have expertise in finding IP infringement on the internet and you can register with any of them for a nominal fee and get great supervision of your matter.

If you end up detecting any unlicensed use of your intellectual property on the internet, then you should directly contact the violators and tell them to take down the content from their sites. This can be accomplished by issuing warning letters to the offenders. If the letters are disregarded by the infringers, you can take legal action and can even sue them for damages.

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