Glossary

Intellectual property (IP)

Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind – such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names and images – that are legally protected to ensure creators and businesses can benefit from their innovations.

Description

Intellectual property is the foundation of innovation-led growth. It covers four main categories of rights – patents, trademarks, copyrights and designs – each designed to safeguard different aspects of creative and technological achievement.

Effective IP protection allows organizations to secure investment, defend market position and license innovation confidently. Managing IP, however, can be complex. Global patent filing, patent translation, patent renewals and IP recordals all require deep legal and linguistic precision – especially when operating across multiple jurisdictions. RWS helps clients navigate this complexity with solutions that blend IP expertise, advanced technology and human insight. From patent translation and filing to renewals and portfolio management, RWS supports the entire IP lifecycle, ensuring that innovation travels safely, accurately and efficiently from idea to global market.

Example use cases

  • Filing: Translating and filing patents across multiple regions and languages.
  • Renewals: Managing trademark renewals and global IP portfolios.
  • Research: Conducting patent prior art search and patent landscape analysis.
  • Recordals: Streamlining recordals and ownership transfers.
  • AI: Leveraging AI to optimize IP research and workflows.

Key benefits

Protection
Safeguard innovations and creative assets across markets.
Efficiency
Simplify complex global IP workflows.
Accuracy
Ensure legal and linguistic precision in every translation and filing.
Visibility
Gain transparency and control over global IP portfolios.
Visibility
Expand IP coverage as businesses and markets grow.

RWS perspective

RWS is one of the world’s leading providers of intellectual property services, trusted by top law firms, patent offices and global enterprises.

Our approach combines the rigour of legal expertise with the intelligence of advanced technology. AI-powered tools streamline research, filing and renewals, while expert translators and attorneys safeguard meaning and intent across jurisdictions. By uniting human accuracy and intelligent automation, RWS helps innovators protect their ideas, strengthen their competitive edge and accelerate global success.