How to Protect Your Business Intellectual Property — Trademarks, Patents, and Copyright (2026)

IP protection is the most neglected legal task for early-stage founders. UK trademark registration: £170 for one class online (takes 4 months). US trademark: $250–350 per class. Copyright is automatic for original works but must be owned by the company (IP assignment from creator). Patents: expensive (£5,000–50,000) and slow (2–5 years) — relevant for hard tech, rarely for software. This article covers the priority order for founder IP protection.