New Intellectual Property Symbol
In this day in age where freeware and application sharing is encouraged (i.e. social networking site plug-ins, internet browsers, mobile device widgets, etc…) it is important to know that, though these items may be free and encouraged to share, they are still the intellectual property of the developer, designer or creator. Designer Ben Osterhaus has branded Intellectual Property (IP)—developing an IP symbol that can be used on all products and even a tagline, "Share Safely."
Similar to the ©, ® and ™ the new IP mark can be placed within logos, labels or packaging for products that are designed to be shared but are the property of a developer(s)
"There are only 3-4 ways to indicate that something is protected, when in actuality everything developed or created by someone is technically protected" says Osterhaus. "With so much accessible on the internet, being easily copy/pasted or downloaded, it is especially easy to forget that items do belong to someone whether or not they have been officially copyrighted or trademarked. This will hopefully make people stop and think about it."
Now with virtually records of everything we do being on a computer, gone should be the fear of having to fight tooth and nail to prove you're the creator. Though officially copyrighting or trademarking is always the safest bet, this IP symbol can offer some protection as you casually or professionally create.
The .eps version of this symbol is available for download at www.IPsymbol.com. And yes, it's free.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
