New Campaign to Help Entrepreneurs Protect Ideas

Create, Protect & Benefit is a joint initiative of 5 public organizations from the Netherlands and Belgium: the Netherlands Patent Office, part of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP), FOD Economy, VLAIO – Flemish Agency for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Wallonie Entreprendre.

Intellectual Property Often Gets Little Attention

According to the 5 initiators, entrepreneurs often only discover the importance of intellectual property (IP) when they encounter problems. For example, with a copied idea, a business name that is already taken, or a collaboration that is not going well. This can cost a lot of energy and hinder growth. The 5 organizations show with a renewed campaign that IP is just as important as finance, marketing, or sales. The campaign focuses on start-up entrepreneurs, who often do not yet know what IP is or think it is complicated or negative.

Many entrepreneurs have questions about growth, collaboration, or innovation – without realizing that this is often directly related to IP, says Maja Schmitt, director of the Netherlands Patent Office. Intellectual property – such as trademark registrations, patents, and copyright – is essential for entrepreneurship. It contributes, just like finance and marketing, to the success of every entrepreneur who wants to protect their ideas and optimally seize opportunities.

Practical Tips for Start-Up Entrepreneurs

On the Create Protect Benefit website, entrepreneurs find practical tips, explanations, and inspiring stories from other entrepreneurs. Here they learn how to protect and utilize their creativity and innovation without complicated legal terms.

Benefits of Good Protection

Smartly handling IP brings various advantages. Entrepreneurs protect their ideas from copies, show investors that they work professionally, and build strong collaborations. This gives a company a solid foundation to grow further.