INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP) is the area of law that protects a person’s creative ideas, inventions, and innovations. It protects people’s ownership rights in their creative ideas, gives them the right to control the use of their creative ideas, and protects their ability to profit from those ideas. It also prevents other people from exploiting a person’s creative ideas.

IP protection in the United States has a long history. In fact, the U.S. Constitution recognizes the importance of protecting IP. This chapter reviews the major ways you can protect IP. It also reviews the role of information technology in IP issues.