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Free online course dodges copyright dragons

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Dragon’s Den entrepreneurs lose points if they haven’t nailed their intellectual property law. For small businesses and start-ups, it’s a must, but few are fully clued up about it.

Dr Hayleigh Bosher’s free five-part video series tells start-ups and students the essentials to be up to speed on copyright, trademarks and design rights.

The Brunel university London Intellectual Property (IP) law lecturer made the guide with research and development analysts, PatSnap. 

Her videos explain what IP law is and why it matters, plus how copyright, trademarks and design rights all work and their everyday uses.

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Dr Hayleigh Bosher

Businesses and organisations that don’t get the full picture on IP risk focusing too much on the parts that matter most to them, without seeing the broader benefits, says Dr Bosher.

“The risk of ignoring an organisation’s need to look at all of its IP holistically is two-fold,” she says. “First of all, the company risks not utilising the full potential of its endeavour, when it could be benefitting, for example, from a design right or from a trademark, or from copyright – but it isn’t simply because it doesn’t know about it.

“If it’s not fully aware of all the different types of IP – what it can and can’t do within that area – it could accidentally infringe upon someone else’s IP. Knowledge is power – if an organisation understands what that IP right is, and what it needs to do within that field, it can protect itself properly.”

“Most people do not have the chance to learn about IP until much later in their careers, when the need becomes urgent,” says Patsnap’s Duncan Clark. “This is astonishing, given the sheer value of IP as an asset. That’s why we’re delighted to address this gap.” 

Find more here on Intellectual Property Law at Brunel. Image CC/alphastockimages.com

Reported by:

Hayley Jarvis, Media Relations
+44 (0)1895 268176
hayley.jarvis@brunel.ac.uk