Your ideas, brand and innovations are valuable business assets. IP Australia helps Australian businesses, startups and entrepreneurs understand and manage intellectual property (IP), giving you the knowledge and tools to protect your ideas, build your brand and create long-term business value.
Intellectual property can play an important role in building and growing a successful business. From your brand and products to new technologies and designs, understanding IP can help you protect what makes your business unique, strengthen your position in the market and safeguard your business against potential future costs of rebranding.
Thinking about IP early can help you prepare for key business milestones such as launch, investment and expansion into new markets.
Whether you're building your first venture or scaling a business of any size, we're here to help you make informed decisions about IP and the opportunities ahead.
Know your IP
In Australia, there are 4 types of registered IP rights. Each protects something different:
- Trade marks protect elements of your brand, such as a name, logo or tagline.
- Patents protect new inventions or processes.
- Design rights protect the overall visual appearance of a product.
- Plant breeder's rights protect new plant varieties.
Once your intellectual property is registered, it can become an intangible business asset that can support growth, attract investment, and help your business stand out in the market.
The Australian IP report 2026 found that after getting their first trade mark, Australian firms perform better than those without one, earning up to 78% more income and achieving 16% higher labour productivity.
Developing an IP strategy helps align your business's IP with your overall goals and it's good practice to consider this early in your business journey.
The right approach depends on what you're creating and how you plan to use it. Some businesses use more than one form of IP protection to safeguard different elements of a product or brand.
Find your starting point
Not sure where to start? IP Australia provides free tools and resources to help you understand and manage your IP at different stages of your business journey.
- Listen to the IP Australia podcast to learn what IP is, how to identify the IP your business holds, how it can be protected and how to avoid common mistakes.
- Use the Choosing the right IP tool to explore which types of IP may be relevant to your ideas, products, brand or innovations.
- Try our TM Checker tool to check whether a proposed name, logo or phrase may be available to register as a trade mark.
- Explore the Business resources hub for practical tools, information and resources for businesses at different stages of their IP journey.
Every business is different, and so is its IP. Explore the types of IP and the protections available for your ideas, brands and innovations.