Intellectual Property Awareness

Understanding and protecting intellectual property is an important part of the process of bringing innovations to the market place.  Intellectual property is a key concern of small businesses owners, who can secure significant competitive advantages by exercising the rights they hold to their innovations. However, many individuals are often unaware of their rights and miss the opportunities they can provide.  NIST MEP has collaborated with a variety of partners to develop intellectual property awareness building and training tools.

IP Awareness Assessment Tool

USPTO and NIST MEP developed the IP Awareness Assessment Tool as a way to help educate innovators about these rights. The tool enables users to assess and increase their awareness of IP issues relevant to their creative projects and business goals. Users answer a comprehensive set of questions regarding IP, after which the tool provides a set of training resources tailored to specifically identified needs.