How to protect your unique assets with intellectual property

There's no point going through the blood, sweat, and tears of starting a business if someone else can simply swoop in and steal your ideas – which is why protecting your intellectual property (IP) is so important.

It brings competitive advantage and greater market share, along with increased revenues – if licensed to others – and stronger brand identity. It's also a big draw for potential investors.

You may have IP that you're not even aware of; it's a very broad term. IP may refer to inventions; product prototypes; product and brand names; logos and symbols; slogans, taglines, and symbols; software and digital platforms; designs, books, articles, photography, and the shape and appearance of a product.

There are many different types of IP protection too, including; trademarks, patents, registered design rights, confidentiality agreements or non-disclosure agreements, trade secrets, and copyright.

Navigating intellectual property rights (IPRs) can be tricky. In a survey of SMEs last year, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) found that while four in five claimed to be familiar with the term intellectual property, they generally didn't have any broad understanding of the IPRs most commonly used to protect products and services.

And, worryingly, four-fifths of businesses said they owned IP that they'd chosen not to register or enforce – mostly because of cost, cited by 42 per cent. Other reasons included lack of expertise and lack of time.

The financial outlay can indeed be significant. Applying for a UK trademark starts at just £170, but this can be just the tip of an iceberg once professional advice and legal fees are added in; and that's before you even get to registering trademarks internationally.

Similarly, while a simple UK patent may cost just a few thousand pounds, this can rocket to tens of thousands when seeking broader international protection.

Therefore, It's vital to prioritise. Organisations should focus on their most valuable IP – the IP most critical to their business – and allocate resources strategically.

Businesses considering this  should also take measures to monitor and enforce their IP rights to detect and counter any infringement, with regular reviews and updates to  any IP policy. 

There’s some free help for businesses wanting to protect their IP. The government's Patent Box initiative, for example, is designed to encourage companies to keep and commercialise intellectual property in the UK. It allows limited companies to pay a reduced 10 per cent rate of corporation tax on profits earned from patented inventions – improving the business case for getting a patent in the first place.

There's also advice and support with IP issues from the British Library, which offers free resources, training, and events both in London and at Business & IP Centres (BIPCs) in more than 70 libraries in the UK.

The IPO offers a certain amount of support and advice, and the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) runs a free IP Clinics service, offering inventors, individuals, and small businesses 45 minutes of free advice from a qualified patent attorney. Many law firms, too, will provide initial advice on IP protection for free.

However, even when a company's IP protection is watertight, this doesn't necessarily protect their trademarks or patents, thanks to an increasing wave of cyber-attacks aimed at stealing corporate secrets.

Last month (July 2025) however, the UK government introduced a programme for small businesses offering them a Secure Innovation Security Review, with up to 500 small- and medium-sized UK firms set to benefit. They'll get tailored advice from approved experts on the risks they face, including cyber-security help on how to protect their corporate secrets from threats.

"Small- and medium-sized businesses power the UK’s innovation engine… but where ideas thrive, threats are never far behind," says Richard Horne, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

"States, state-backed competitors, and cyber criminals target cutting-edge ideas and valuable data, exploiting gaps in cyber and protective security defences to launch attacks that can cripple organisations and steal their most sensitive innovations."

To take part in the scheme, companies will need to apply through Innovate UK and contribute £500, with the further £2,500 cost covered by the government.

According to the government, intangible assets – often protected by IP – can make up as much as 70 to 80 per cent of a company’s worth.

"Intellectual property is a valuable asset that could be vital to the growth of your business, securing investment, and the commercial success of your products or services," says the British Business Bank.

"Protecting your IP assets so you retain exclusive ownership where possible can be an important thing to do, and by using legal rights like copyright, trademarks and patents, you can stop other companies from copying or stealing your ideas, products or services."

If you’d like to explore your IP and how it can be properly protected. speak to a member of Howden’s specialist team on 0330 008 1334.