Council offer businesses guide to intellectual property

Businesses are being invited to an event that could help make them money as well as save hundreds of pounds in legal bills.

Plymouth City Council is hosting a session on intellectual property and how to protect it and exploit it. The event is one of a series of summer business briefings hosted by the council which are designed to offer tips and advice for small and medium-sized businesses.

Intellectual property is at the heart of every business – it is the new product that someone has invented, it is the logo of a company or the website layout.

A representative from the Intellectual Property Office will be coming from Cardiff to guide people through the areas of intellectual property a business may have as well as tips on how to protect them and how to profit from them.

Staff from Plymouth Patlib, which is based in Central Library, will explain their free local service which offers information and searches to help you avoid infringing on other people's intellectual property.

Chris Hunnings, Learning and Information Service Manager said: "We take people through registering a design, trade marks and patents. Many people do not realise there are laws surrounding ideas and designs. This helps avoid expensive mistakes in the long run."

Council leader Tudor Evans, said: "We want to help businesses in as many ways as we can – not just getting them off the ground through the Urban Enterprise programme, but being on hand to guide them and advise them and to help them avoid pitfalls.

"By working co-operatively we can help each other make this city buzz for businesses."

The event will take place on Wednesday 29 May at the City Business Park in Stoke. It will run from on 12 noon until 1.30pm. It costs £15 per person and lunch and refreshments are included.

Further events include the 'friendly face of trading standards' on Wednesday 26 June 12 noon to 1.30pm while on Wednesday 31 July, there will be a session on debt recovery and how to know customers better.

To book visit the Eventbrite website.

For other events contact city.business.park@plymouth.gov.uk.