There are many things to keep track of when you’re starting up a new construction project, but one thing that you can’t afford to overlook is your intellectual property. If your company has any kind of IP that needs to be protected in a construction deal, you have to do your due diligence and safeguard any innovations or designs that you have created. Our Houston construction contract lawyers can help you do that.

There are actually plenty of types of intellectual property that may need to be protected during a construction project. Some examples include:

Patents : Some types of construction processes and equipment can be patented. Even materials can be patented.

Trademarks : Plenty of players in the construction industry, from contractors to material suppliers, may have to worry about trademarks being infringed.

Copyrights : Designs and blueprints can often be copyrighted, but it’s always important to determine who has ownership of such copyrights.

First, you have to identify what kind of IP you have that needs to be protected. What do you actually have? Do you own all of your intellectual property yourself, or is some of it shared with partners, subcontractors, or others? It’s a good idea to do a full inventory of your patents, trademarks, and copyrights to figure out what you need to safeguard from others.

Then you need to make sure that all of your contracts and agreements clearly define everyone’s IP rights. You should make it clear who owns the intellectual property, who can use it, and how it will be used. There should be no ambiguity about this and all contracts should be reviewed to make sure that there’s no wiggle room or areas where someone might try to claim a “misunderstanding” later.

Then you should take the time to implement any security measures that can protect your IP from loss or theft. A good example of this would be locking up architectural models and drawings or ensuring that no one else has access to your company’s network. Finally, it’s important to keep an eye out for any misuse of your IP and be ready to assert your rights when you spot a problem.

You should talk to an experienced construction attorney from our firm before you sign any deals. If you’re serious about protecting your intellectual property, you need someone who is used to dealing with such contracts and ready to look out for the best interests of you and your company. You do not want to end up losing out on profits or a chance to enforce a breach of contract due to gaps in your project agreements.

So if you have an IP that needs to be protected, contact Patout & Shaw. We will do everything that we can to help you negotiate fair deals and protect anything that your company owns, whether that’s actual property or intellectual property.

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