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Why and how can I protect my ideas for setting up my own business?


An often overlooked step, it's nevertheless important to protect your ideas before presenting your business plan to a third party. In addition to the competitive aspect, this will give you the confidence to develop your future business in detail 😉

 

Protecting your ideas can help you avoid a number of risks

  • Your creation will be protected from counterfeiting 🛡
  • Avoid having your ideas, your brand or your innovations stolen 👮‍♀️

 

How?

TheInstitut National de la Propriété Industrielle(INPI) website brings together all the information and procedures you need to protect your ideas and issue industrial property titles.

You can also gather evidence via an online filing service, a bailiff's report or a notarial deed. 📝

To do this, go to INPI.fr, click on"démarches en ligne" and choose the type of registration you wish to make.

 

Protect_your_business

 

There are three types of registration that can be used to obtain an industrial property title:

  • 🧠 Patent registration: enables you to protect technical innovations (meeting several criteria, such as industrial application). It lasts 20 years and can be filed by one or more individuals or companies.

  • 🔖 Trademark registration: can represent letters, a slogan, a logo in the image of your company and this trademark must imperatively be associated with your products/services. Before setting up your own trademark/name, make sure they are available (you can check here). A trademark lasts for 10 years, is renewable without limit and can be registered by one or more individuals or companies.

  • 🎨 Design registration: refers to the appearance of a product (meeting certain criteria such as degree of novelty). It lasts for a maximum of 25 years and can be filed by one or more natural or legal persons.

 

Before that, you can first protect your idea 💡 via the online E-Soleau process (formerly Soleau envelope): this is a dated description of your idea that will be registered with L'INPI. It costs €15 up to 50MB, then €10 for each additional 50MB, for periods of 5 years. Your idea is therefore registered for a renewable period of 5 years.

Don't doubt your projects any longer and launch them with complete peace of mind! 😌

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