Intellectual Property
Regardless of what product a business makes or the service it provides, it will encounter, create, and use intellectual property. To survive and grow, an entrepreneur needs to know how to protect, manage, and exploit IP assets and how to avoid conflict with somebody else's IP rights.
Developing and managing IP allows a business to align and focus its activities and enhance its competitiveness. IP protection helps in:
- preventing competitors from copying or closely imitating a business's products, technical processes, or business services,
- avoiding wasteful investment in research and development (R&D) and marketing,
- creating a corporate identity through a branding strategy,
- negotiating licensing, franchising, and other IP-based contractual agreements,
- increasing the market value of the business,
- acquiring venture capital and enhancing access to finance,
- obtaining access to new markets.
To find out more about IP rights, or to apply for a patent or register a trade mark or design, access the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand website.
To find out more about New Zealand's intellectual property policy and framework, access Intellectual Property Policy section.
Intellectual Property Office New Zealand Website
The IPONZ website allows you to search the patent, trade mark and design databases, renew your patent, trade mark or design online, and file trade mark applications and non-fee bearing correspondence.
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