Whether it's patent, trademark, copyright, registered design or any other form of Intellectual Property, those two small letters "IP" spell out big potential for your future revenues, especially if you are hoping to license your idea to existing market players.

But as any experienced inventor-entrepreneur will tell you, don't hand over IP matters entirely to the experts. YOU need to understand enough about it to make the right decisions for your idea from the start.

The more we learn about IP, the more questions seem to pop up.

If any of these questions look familiar to you, you should be coming along to the November meeting...

• What kinds of IP apply to my idea?
• I've heard IP is really expensive, what's the truth about costs?
• I don't want to turn my idea into a business myself. Won't a licensing deal be the easiest way to make money from it?
• Can't I just keep my idea secret, and then launch it on the world so they're too far behind to bother to copy me?
• Is it true that if I take my designs to China for manufacturing, they'll be copied and put on sale everywhere in no time?
• I've got a website idea - can I protect that at all?
• I know I can't get a patent for my idea. Does that mean it isn't a good idea?
• I want to get some samples of my idea made up? But how do I protect it from being copied by designers or manufacturers?
• I've heard that I need to make a patent application before I can talk to anyone about my idea. But I've also heard that I mustn't rush to patent too soon. What's the truth here?
• What kind of percentage on sales or royalities can I expect to earn in a licensing deal? And what should I include in a licensing agreement?
• I'm getting a professional designer to put my idea together. It was my original idea, but will the designer have any claims to the IP?
• I only want to run a small business from home. Surely I don't have to worry about legally complicated things like IP.

At November's She's Ingenious! meeting we've brought together two speakers to give some rounded answers that go beyond IP theory and show us how IP works in real life to create profitable assets in a business... 

Megan O'Callaghan from Creative Business Lawyers Briffa, will cover the nuts and bolts of Intellectual Property. What are the different types and how do they work?

Rob Lucas, a specialist in IP training and management, and author of The Big and Easy Guide to Take A Bright Idea from Drawing Board to Successful Revenue, will look at commercialising an idea, particularly by way of seeking a licensee, what goes into a licence agreement and the rewards that can be achieved.

About Briffa: Briffa is an award winning firm of solicitors based in London specializing in the business and law concerning those who value their intangible assets - their Intellectual Property. They work with businesses and individuals in design, technology, entertainment, software development, publishing and the Internet to help realize the value in ideas and creativity. Find out more about Briffa

About Rob Lucas: Rob's background spans many years in managing Intellectual Property across different industrial and institutional sectors for would-be entrepreneurs and companies. Rob’s recent creation of the British Library’s e-learning courses on developing and managing IP is recognized and used by individuals and professionals around the world, gaining recognition as a finalist in the "e-learning solution of the year" category at the prestigious World of Learning Awards 2008. Rob has advised both regional and central government including the DTI, OSI, DfES and HM Treasury on Intellectual Property management and innovation strategies, as well as contributing to publications on the subject of idea development and commercialization. Visit Rob's website

Every month there's a She's Ingenious! networking meeting with a purpose. Come and learn about a key topic in the product development life cycle and network with other ingenious women also on the journey to making their product ideas and inventions a profitable reality.

Who should attend?
• Women with new product and start-up ideas
• Anyone already marketing their own products
• Professionals interested or involved in bringing new products to market

Booking details:
Time: 11am to 1pm
Date: 25 November 2009
Price: £20 non-members, £10 Members Take up Trial Membership for just £1
Booking: Add to cart at top of this page. (Members remember to use the email you joined with to claim your discount)
Place: British Library Business & IP Centre, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB

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