Many public speakers, corporate trainers and coaches tend to start out humble, usually as a one man show or sole proprietor in their training and coaching business. The early days of their career are spent finding the next deal, creating new content, and promoting themselves and their materials. Rarely do they spend time and attention protecting their intellectual property, which, paradoxically, forms the most essential element that builds a training business.

Trainers, speakers, and coaches rely on their own intellectual property to create courses, write articles, and publish books. They also rely on their intellectual property to differentiate themselves from the competition and seek additional funding.

Therefore, whenever possible, I have always tried to encourage speakers, trainers and coaches to seek to protect their intellectual property right at the start of their business.

Here are two main types of protection you can purchase for your intellectual property.

Protection #1: Trademark

You can protect your company name, your program names, and all of your company logos by registering for trademark protection.

A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, or design that identifies your product and distinguishes it from your competitors.

Your company name and logo define your unique competitive advantage and define your brand. It’s also important to make sure you’re not infringing on someone else’s trademarks.

Protection #2: Copyright

Copyright refers to any original work you have created that exists in fixed and tangible media. While songwriters copyright their songs and filmmakers copyright their files, public speakers and trainers can also copyright their courses, curriculum, and methodologies.

If you have an original copy of the website, marketing materials, or other creative works that you are using in your business, you own copyright to them.

In general, your work must be substantially original. It must be work that you have created yourself or work that you have paid for or purchased. You have to make sure that the work is your exclusive property. But copyrighting your work also prevents others from doing the same; to steal your work and use it as their own without reference or credit to you.

conclusion

In conclusion, protecting your intellectual properties through the use of trademarks and copyrights is vital. Spend some time and money working out how you can really protect your business so you don’t regret it later. Don’t wait until it’s too late to protect what is truly yours.

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