Intellectual Property (IP)

What is Intellectual Property (IP)?

Intellectual Property, or IP, refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, and symbols, names, and images used in commerce. The main types of IP are patents, copyrights, and trademarks. In a partnership agreement, it's very important to be clear about who owns what IP. For example, if two companies co-develop a new product, the contract needs to specify how the ownership of that new IP will be shared. Protecting your IP is crucial for maintaining your competitive advantage.

Related Terms

Ideal Customer Persona

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Inbound Marketing

What is Inbound Marketing? Inbound marketing is a strategy focused on attracting customers by creating valuable content and experiences that are tailored to them. It's the opposite of outbound marketing, where you push your message out to a broad audience. Inbound is all about drawing people in. Th

Incentive

What is an Incentive? An incentive is a reward that is offered to motivate a specific action or behavior. In a partner program, incentives are used to encourage partners to sell more and be more engaged. The most common incentive is a sales commission, but there are many others. A SPIFF (Sales Perf

Incubator

What is an Incubator? An incubator is an organisation that helps very early-stage startups and new companies to get off the ground. They provide resources like office space, mentorship, and access to a network of other entrepreneurs and investors. Incubators are focused on the very beginning of a c

Independent Software Vendor (ISV)

What is an Independent Software Vendor (ISV)? An Independent Software Vendor, or ISV, is a company that develops and sells its own software products. They are "independent" because they are not owned by a hardware manufacturer or a larger software platform. ISVs are a huge part of the technology ec

Indirect Sales

What are Indirect Sales? Indirect Sales is another term for channel sales. It's a sales strategy where a company sells its products through third-party partners, rather than directly to the end customer. These partners act as the intermediary. This model allows a company to leverage the reach, rela