Design registration protects the way your innovation looks, but not the way it functions. A total monopoly is given to the registered owner of the design, which lasts for 12 months, with three possible extensions of five years each. Copyright protects artistic and literary works, computer programs and engineering drawings. The original copyright owner is usually the author of the work unless the author is an employee, in which case the employer is the owner. Circuit layout rights automatically protect the three-dimensional configuration of electronic circuits and layout design.
Trade secrets protect know-how and other confidential information.
The method in question must be shown to have been kept secret, although disclosing the process to employees is allowed as long as the need for secrecy was made clear. Confidentiality agreements are a good idea for employers wishing to prevent their employees from disclosing trade secrets or confidential information. Often, more than one method of defence may be necessary to fully protect your creation. It is also advisable to conduct routine checks on your competitors, both here and overseas, to ensure that your ideas are not being copied. Investments in product development and package design will be wasted if a new product is found to infringe prior rights and has to be withdrawn from the market.