Aimed at businesses that thrive on idea capital, this primer on intellectual property law spells out the easy and important steps to take to protect ideas such as brands, recipes, inventions, or artwork. In an increasingly competitive business world, companies live or die by the freshness and power of their ideas; protecting these works is not complicated and can cost nothing if entrepreneurs take action early, from realizing what intellectual capital their business might have to considering patents and licenses. The time and costs involved with each option are detailed, and the book explains all of the new choices and opportunities—as well as a few pitfalls—open to owners of protected ideas. For further study and action, there is a companion website accessible by a password provided in the book that offers sample legal agreements and links to other resources.