Many small companies are not taking steps to ensure they protect their intellectual property (IP), according to new government data.
A number of small firms are not doing anything to make certain they protect their intellectual property (IP), new government data suggests.
Research carried out by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) indicates such enterprises also understand the need to protect such assets, but do not do so.
A total of 40 per cent of respondents indicated they took no practical action such as registering trade marks or employee training in order to ensure their IP - and that of others - is protected.
Meanwhile, a third of those surveyed did not know whether goods sold on their premises by third-party traders were legitimate or not.
The study also revealed a trend among managers to pass on responsibility in the area of IP, with just under 30 per cent of those who said that they would not prevent employees or co-workers from buying fake goods at work taking no action as they said it was not their duty to do so.
Deputy chief constable Giles York, the chair of the IPO's IP Crime Group, which carried out the poll, said it is "clear" that many managers are unaware of the negative impact IP theft can have on their companies - and themselves personally.
Ed Quilty the director of copyright and IP enforcement at the IPO, added: "IP is central to the UK economy and therefore businesses of all sizes cannot afford to be complacent in respecting its value - ensuring effective measures are in place to prevent workplace IP crime are an important part of this."
Types of IP include patents, trade marks and copyright.
