What is Intellectual Property (IP)?
IP is defined as the non-physical property that arises from the owner's ideas or creativity. What does IP cover? Well... it covers just about everything. This can include a variety of creative and intellectual works such as designs, paintings, pictures, books, and posts. In the United States, IP is protected under IP law, that allows IP owners to take action against infringement. According to the U.S. Department of State, protecting IP is one of the major reasons that America continues to dominate in its innovation. IP law is also the means by which ideas and creations are able to be monetized. Monetization is one of the major incentives for people to continue to create and share IP.
IP provides protections over, and therefor insentives to create, the kind of work that encourages the development of the United States as a nation.
Types of IP Law
There are three major types of IP that are covered under IP law.
- Patent
- Trademark
- Copyright
For the purposes of this website, the main focus will be on the type of IP called copyright.
Why is IP important to you?
In the digital age, everone owns and creates IP. Any post on Facebook, Instagram, or Tik Tok is a work that constitutes IP and is protected under IP law. As creators, we should be aware of the protections (at least within America) that we have over our work.
Social media also encourages the sharing and reposting of the work of others. The exchage of ideas and creative works is an essential part of the "social" aspect of the internet. So not only is it important to protect our own works, but it is important to know the bounds of the works of others.
In the past, the creation of IP was limited to those who had access to the traditional forms of publishing, but now, anyone can create IP—and everyone does, including you!