Any intangible creation, whether thought, design, concept, idea, plan, invention, reputation, etc., is intellectual property. Though it isn’t a physical, concrete item, it does have an owner who is the person who had the inspiration and therefore belongs to him or her. Protecting one’s rights to intellectual property can be tricky because it isn’t something that can be seen, like a machine that one invents and can be directly traced to its creator.
However, not all intangibles in the world necessarily belong to someone. Many ideas and discoveries are free for anyone to make use of. Nevertheless, that property that is legally considered eligible for protection under intellectual property legislation, will belong solely to its rightful owner, who created it, or to whomever such rights was bestowed upon. The rights to that property will be protected for a limited time, in most cases.
Civilized nations recognize and safeguard intellectual property. The laws pertaining to this were set for the purpose of creating a balance between granting exclusive rights to creators and inventors and variouslegal, social and economic motives.
Five Things That Mark Intellectual Property
- Patents
- Trademarks
- Samples
- Copyright
- Original names
The owner whose intellectual property it is, has the sole, exclusive, rights to the fruit of his labor and is, therefore, granted protection by law, from any copyright infringement. Most intellectual property, though, has a statute of limitations for the period during which it is protected or the patent expires and in this case, the patent must be renewed.
The Innovation Revolution in Israel
Israel is a startup nation. It’s nickname was earned by many developments in technology and innovation in recent years. There is a flurry of activity as labs, plants and other manufacturing environments appear on the Israeli landscape.
These new companies began with plans, concepts and inventions, which must be legally protected by proper and valid registration. Modern law is centralized around intellectual property law and with more of a globalized market, international intellectual property law is all the more vital. There are constant technical and legal changes, which make good, reliable, legal counsel indispensable. Israel’s economy today depends greatly on this, a far cry when its main exports were citrus fruit and polished diamonds.
Years ago in Israel, if an artist or artisan would sketch a design for anything, that design would be immediately put in an opaque folder and not shown to anyone, until the creator was ready to unveil it for whatever reason. This was because there were plenty who would think nothing of claiming such a concept as their own, with absolutely no compunctions. Israeli society has matured. More laws are enforced and people know that they have to act responsibly or face the legal repercussions.
Whereas patent attorneys had often immigrated to Israel from other countries, where protection of intellectual property was more commonplace, today there are more and more patent attorneys, to meet an ever-growing need. Israel’s increased international presence also indicates the growing importance of intellectual property on the global scene. Legislation and regulations are not only on the books, they are implemented every day.
