Use intellectual property to grow your business

For artists, artisans, inventors, sole traders and small and medium-sized businesses, intellectual property (IP) can be one of their most valuable assets. It's important to know how to protect and exploit it.

You can give your IP a closer look using the online IP Health Check tool from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).

How the health check tool can help your business

Free to use, the tool is split into nine modules:

• trade marks
• trade marks overseas
• patents
• copyright
• designs
• confidential information
• licensing your intellectual property
• franchising
• enforcement

It helps you find out:

• if you have IP to protect
• if you own it and, if you don't, who does
• how to protect it, and whether you should
• how you can exploit it commercially

Just answer a series of quick, simple questions on the IP topic of your choice and you will get a tailored confidential report including:

• recommended action points to help you protect and exploit your IP rights
• an explanation for each recommendation
• guidance on how to put each recommendation into practice
• links to useful information, websites and other resources

Take the IPO's IP Health Check.