What is intellectual property?

The field of application of intellectual property is both vast and heterogeneous: intellectual property concerns achievements as diverse as inventions, software, literary or artistic creations, databases, semiconductors, plant varieties, trademarks, designs and models... whose legal regimes differ widely, whether in terms of the nature, duration or effectiveness of protection, or the conditions and formalities to be fulfilled in order to benefit from it. A number of intellectual property rights can complement each other in protecting the same object. It is in a company's interest to be familiar with these different tools and to multiply the types of intellectual property protection in order to keep the competition at bay, reassure investors, make itself visible, enhance its image as an innovative company, generate partnerships with third parties and build up a wealth of various intangible assets.

Without claiming to be a specialist in intellectual property, it is important to be able to find one's way through this maze of rights in order to preserve or optimize the protection of one's innovations and intellectual assets.