The first Intellectual Property Guide for startups – “Entrepreneurial Ideas” is available to startups in Serbia. It provides them with the necessary guidelines on how startups can use the intellectual property protection system in order to preserve competitiveness and understand the risks that may arise as a result of neglecting its importance in business.

The first document of this type for startups in Serbia is an adaptation of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) publication “Enterprising Ideas: A Guide to the Intellectual property for Startups”, adjusted to the local ecosystem and procedures for the IP rights protection in the Republic of Serbia, with examples of the use of IP rights in business with five domestic startups.

The guide was created as part of the cooperation plan of The Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia with WIPO, in cooperation and with the support of the Swiss Federal Institute for Intellectual Property and the Science Technology Park Belgrade (STP Belgrade) through the project “Technopark Serbia 2 – Boosting exports through technoparks”. The adaptation of the original edition was done by Jovana Joksimović, a lawyer and IP officer on the “Technopark Serbia 2” project at STP Belgrade.

Why is this guide important for startups?

For all companies that develop innovations, it is necessary to include an intellectual property protection strategy in their operations in order to protect and thereby prevent its unauthorized use. Through intellectual property rights, startups acquire a recognizable identity, as well as a means for attracting investments and better positioning in negotiations when selling a business entity.

You can download the guide on intellectual property for startups HERE.