Any inventive or original asset which you have created or designed and possess ownership of, such as, writing, art, music etc is called your intellectual property. In order to stop others from misusing and claiming ownership of such property, the creator must be conscious of his intellectual property rights and should know how to safeguard his or her interests from people who will try to take undue advantage of them.

Intellectual property is generally categorised into two main types - industrial and related property like trademarks, designs and patents and copyright, which covers original creations like painting, music, literary pieces etc. Intellectual property rights grant right of exclusive use to the owner or creator over his or her original work within the framework of law applicable in that specific region.

No other person but the owner can authorize another individual to use his intellectual property. The owner also holds sole right to permit others to reproduce the work. The IP owner's other rights on the creation include his right to objecting to distortions or alterations by third parties to his original work. These rights can be transferred to others by going through certain procedures outlined under the law.

However comprehensive these rights may seem, there are certain limitations in them. Some nations have a judicial framework under which the original work should have a concrete form to come within the purview of intellectual property.

As tangible items have a physical presence, it is much easier to identify and establish legal resolutions for cases pertaining to these. But, for intangible creations, it is sometimes very difficult to prove that infringement has occurred and compensation can therefore be claimed by the owner of the IP. Therefore, it is quite essential to know and comprehend the rights you have with respect to such works so that you can enjoy the advantages - both financial and otherwise - of your original work.