So, I have been bullied into blogging. A long while has passed since my previous attempt at self glorification and wannabe journalism. But, instead of the usual rant I am going to write about something sensible.

This week, one of my esteemed employees decided that we should all focus our thoughts more towards the blog roll, rather than simply confining them to the four walls of, what was, a former paint factory. This approach has led me to think carefully about which of these thoughts I would like to broadcast. Thankfully I have decided to discuss the importance of protection.

I suspect you will be reassured to know that this is not the art of extracting money by threats, as practiced in parts of Southern Europe, but more about how we should look after the management and protection of our intellectual property. Notwithstanding I am going to talk about the logo.

Logos are an interesting conundrum. Their value represents a vision of a business in the eyes of a market, and so can pose as an accumulating business asset. As with most things in life, the value of an item, idea or even an individual is determined by how much other individuals will pay to acquire it. This common law of capitalism also applies to said logo. If you are the owner of a large corporation, I suspect you have this covered. You probably have a team of legal eagles making sure your logo and other things have been properly dished out, and that no Tom, Dick or Harry can go running off with them.

It is the smaller business that often overlooks the issue of protection. An expensive investment, the trademarking of things like logos is not going to be important to MJ Plumbers of A.Smith Roofing. But think about it in another way. You might be a fledgling business with a neat little product going to market, I am willing to bet you have gone to high heaven and back to get your idea patented etc., but have you considered your other intellectual assets? 

Proper licensing and management of brand assets such as logotypes, colours, names and tag-lines will be pricey, but in time, like you neat little product, they will be worth it. After all, the trademark is the first step in a menagerie of ways to can maximize and even generate income from proper and well-managed IP rights.

Author Site Admin
Date 04.02.11
Time 14.39
Comments 4