If you are doing business in Colorado, you may have ideas you want to protect under Colorado Intellectual Property Law. This protection allows you to reap the full benefits of your business concepts and prevents others from unfairly using them.

“Intellectual property" refers to ideas that are owned by you as an individual or as a company. Although your intellectual property is protected under intellectual property law from the moment you create it, you should register to create an official record of your ideas and more easily protect them should a conflict ever arise.

The 3 most common forms of Colorado intellectual property are:

1. Trademark, for trade names or logos.

2. Copyright, for artistic works such as published work.

3. Patent, for unique inventions dictated by intellectual property law in Colorado.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose the best protection under intellectual property law in Colorado

To protect your intellectual property, first decide what type it is. Trademarks refer to a name, phrase, or logo that identifies your business. It can include words only, a particular look or font or even a color scheme. A copyright protects the specific form in which your ideas are recorded and is used to protect literary and artistic works. Finally, patents protect your inventions and are used for physical devices or abstract concepts, such as computer software algorithms or business methods.

I recommend: Start with the Intellectual Property Center of FindLaw, which outlines the basics of intellectual property and offers a wide menu of topics to help you begin to register your intellectual property in Colorado. The Intellectual Property Resource Center of Netpreneur is also an excellent resource for your initial research. Review the helpful information at the United States Patent and Trademark Office or the United States Copyright Office.

Register your intellectual property under Colorado IP law to protect your business

Although intellectual property, in general, is registered at the federal level, you can also register trademarks at the state level. It is essential for your small business to patent your ideas or register your trademarks or copyrights. This allows your small business to access the full power of the courts in protecting your valuable assets.

I recommend: Check the Trademark Electronic Search System to ensure your proposed trademark is not registered, then register online through the Trademark Electronic Application System. For your copyright, register federally through the United States Copyright Office. Register your trademark or trade name in Colorado by filing electronically through the Colorado Secretary of the State's Business Center.

Let a Colorado intellectual property attorney help you

It may be in your best interest to consult with Colorado patent attorneys for advice about protecting your Colorado patent. Patent law in Colorado, including Colorado escrow laws, has nuances that are often best left to intellectual property law firms in Colorado that are familiar with filing your type of technology. The right lawyer can guide you through Colorado copyright, patent and trademark law.

I recommend: To find a patent attorney in Colorado see Justia. Read Title 7, Article 70-74 of the Colorado Revised Statutes on Michie's.Legal Resources, or learn more about Colorado trademarks at TrademarkColorado.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  A federal trademark is valid for 5 years, while a Colorado trademark, registered as a Colorado intellectual copyright, is valid for 10 years, so plan accordingly.
• •  In order to register a trade name in Colorado, you must be qualified to do business in Colorado. Contact the Secretary of the State's office to determine if you are qualified.