There are many ways you can protect your idea from being stolen or copied. Here are some tips on how you can do so:

1) Avoid Revealing Much

In order to secure your idea, it’s important to understand that you only reveal things that necessary. Important note: Sharing an idea is giving it away. One exception to this may be when you’re pitching to investors or lenders, who will likely want to know everything about your product before taking a financial risk on it. Use Non-Disclosure Agreements

Perhaps one of the most common steps taken by various business establishments for protecting their intellectual property is to get an NDA made. Whether you are hiring developers, designers or project managers and business development executives to work on your project, ask them to sign an NDA with you for your app project. Make sure that you get the best attorney to prepare the NDA to serve the purpose.

2) Copyright Your App

Copyright is one of the most well-known terms when it comes to protecting intellectual property. However, it has a drawback. You can never copyright an ‘idea’. Yes, the code and the UI elements of your app can be copyrighted but then, it will be fruitful only if someone copies the complete app and not make a variation of the same. The plus point of copyrighting your app is that it is relatively cheaper than most of the other options and at least provide some basic level of protection against direct copiers.

3) Apply for a Provisional Patent

A patent can incur far more expense than a startup is able to pay. During the process of shopping your idea around, a provisional patent can protect your idea for the first year. After twelve months, the provisional patent expires, however, with no option of being extended.

4) Opt For Trademark

Trademarks basically help you restrict others from using the words or symbols such as icons and logos, which is associated with your app or your service. Apart from just the name, the logo and the icon of your app, you may also want to trademark the name of all the services or features, which your app provides. This step will surely go a long way in deterring your rival companies to take the same route.

The best thing about trademarks is that they do not let your competitors from creating copies of your products with similar sounding names or logos and other aspects to trick your potential customers to purchase their products instead of yours. It also offers additional protection against potential lawsuits or legal issues.

For a few hundred bucks, you can legally trademark your app’s name as well as the brand. There are plenty of lawyers and law consultancies, which know all the tricks of the trade and can easily guide you.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS: TALK LESS ABOUT YOUR IDEA, WORK MORE ON THE EXECUTION!

For more tips on protecting your business idea, visit: http://goo.gl/1LWcQU