It’s been said that we live in the information economy. If that’s true, then intellectual property is the lifeblood of business. The expression of ideas into some form that can be understood by others, be it art, music, technology or science, makes up what we call intellectual property, or IP.

IP is one of the main tools used in business to gain and maintain a competitive advantage. Companies face many more challenges today than in decades past, largely due to the global nature of business and the increasingly competitive environment in certain industries. Like most real property, IP can be bought, sold, licensed and even stolen. Companies must take care to protect their intellectual capital, while at the same time, aggressively marketing it to their competitive advantage.

Most countries have laws to protect intellectual property rights. Patents, copyrights, trademarks, servicemarks and trade secrets are granted protection from unauthorized use for specific time periods. The Constitution of the United States even sets forth the concept that the works of authors and inventors should be protected in order to promote scientific progress and the “useful” arts.

SVIC can help owners of intellectual property in the security, enterprise software, enterprise systems, advanced materials, life sciences and communications markets commercialize their technology. For more than 10 years, SVIC has helped identify emerging technologies and bring them to market - maximizing their commercial potential.