If you create something, make sure you protect it. A teenage girl once had a great idea to make skirts out of neck ties donated by her father, family and friends. She wore the prototype with pride while walking through a favourite shopping arcade. On her next visit one week later, she saw ‘tie skirts’ being sold for £35 each. A salutory lesson, that taught her not to reveal new product ideas without first protecting the design.

Many are under the misapprehension that Intellectual Property Protection is expensive and only really benefits the lawyers. There are many things that you can do to achieve limited protection at little or no cost. There are also instances where the amount you pay a lawyer to protect your property will benefit you significantly in the long term. You can obtain a good summary of the various intellectual property rights at http://www.virtuosolegal.com/ip.htm If you created it, protect it!