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Patents and copyright · checked 11 November 2026

You cannot protect a bare idea: assign the code and designs to your company, trademark the name, and file a patent before showing a real invention.

A patent starts on IP India with a provisional specification to lock the date and the complete one within 12 months; a startup pays Rs 1,600 to file and Rs 4,000 for examination, and the patent agent's drafting is most of the bill. Copyright exists the moment you create a work, and registering it for ₹500 gives you evidence in court. Paying a freelancer does not make the code yours; a written IP assignment does.

The steps 13 answers

  1. How do I protect my idea when I have to share it to get it built? Starting Up
  2. How do I patent an idea or invention in India, and what does it cost? Starting Up
  3. How do I register copyright in India? Starting Up
  4. Who owns AI-generated content, and do I have to disclose that I used AI? How Founders Use AI
  5. What are the legal, copyright, and disclosure rules for AI-generated marketing content? How Founders Use AI
  6. Can I keep my day job while I incorporate and start building, without losing my startup's IP? Starting Up
  7. Can I protect my idea with a patent or an NDA before I launch? Starting Up
  8. Trademark vs patent vs copyright, which one do I actually need? Starting Up
  9. Who legally owns the code and design if I hired a freelancer or agency to build my product? Starting Up
  10. How do I protect my brand or invention outside India when I want to sell to the US or globally? Starting Up
  11. How do I license my own IP to someone else (a partner, distributor, or another company) without giving it away? Starting Up
  12. How do I protect my IP: assignments, trademarks, and patents on a budget? How Founders Use AI
  13. One co-founder wrote most of the code before we incorporated. Who owns that IP, and how do we make sure the company does? Starting Up

The readingMost used across these answers

The terms

PatentCopyrightIntellectual PropertyIP AssignmentNon-Disclosure Agreement

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