One of the most important assets for a business owner is their intellectual property. Intellectual property can refer to inventions, designs, symbols, images and brand names. Unfortunately, some people and companies try to use other people’s intellectual property and pass it off as their own. If you’re dealing with potential intellectual property theft in Ohio, there are steps you can take to prove this is happening.
Determine who can access your intellectual property
The first thing to do is take note of any person or company with access to your intellectual property. This includes freelancers, employees and anyone else with access to what you created. It’s also helpful to create a timeline of when the theft first began occurring.
Accurately document all instances of infringement
Next, make sure to accurately document every instance of infringement you find. You can do this by taking screenshots or video recordings of your stolen intellectual property. It’s also wise to save the web URLs and hosting information of each offender. Having this information can help strengthen your business law claim.
Figure out how much each instance of theft costs you
As you’re working on proving theft of intellectual property, you’ll also want to calculate how much each instance of IP theft costs you. A court can use these costs to determine the damages you’re eligible to receive.
In conclusion, you’ll want to take several steps after a person or company steals your intellectual property. Considering the complexity of these situations, it’s a good idea to contact a business litigation attorney. An attorney may help with notifying the other party of their infringement and taking them to court if need be.