Protecting your intellectual property and trade secrets during tough economic times.

[Dave Hook]

Hi everybody. The proposition for this discussion is simple: When times are tough financially, how do you protect what is yours? I recently returned from a conference on countering industrial espionage. The cost to a company for stealing another's R&D versus conducting the research themselves is somewhere between one-tenth and one-ten thousandth of the cost. So when funding is scarce, industrial espionage tends to rise.

What security processes and procedures (in general or specifically) would you care to share with your fellow entrepreneurs that you find affordable and effective when money is tight?

Dave

[Pett]

Hi Dave,

You may want to post a copy, of whatever you want to protect, to yourself and never open the envelope until you need to prove that you have originated the idea. You can use a normal post a better still recorded delivery. This way even the post office will have it on their record and you can claim it in your support when you need to.

Hope this helps.

Warm regards,
Pett

[Dave Hook]

You're absolutely right. I've heard that called a Poor Man's Copyright...all for the price of an envelope and stamp. Thanks Pett.
Dave