29-11-2007
Intellectual property a problem for small business
News by Adfero for Simply Business - independent providers of business insurance, business finance, landlord insurance, buy-to-let mortgages & commercial mortgages.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has drawn attention to the difficulties faced by small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the field of intellectual property (IP).
The FSB believes that IP can pose a number of different difficulties for SMEs, as not only can it be seen as an expense for their businesses, but it may also be viewed unfavourably in terms of cost.
In addition to enforcement on a national level, organisations such as the World Trade Organisation and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights seek to ensure IP laws are followed at the intergovernmental level.
"It is a difficult area in that it's often quite expensive and complicated to do," said Simon Briault, press officer for the FSB.
"Intellectual property by its very nature is pretty elusive and difficult to pin down and for small business owners who are just starting out it's often hard to do," he added.
The area of IP can be multi-faceted, drawing in a number of different areas, such as trademarks, patents and copyright.