Intellectual Property Protection

Stop IP theft before it happens. Protect trade secrets in cloud, endpoints, and email. 

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Your intellectual property drives your business. Protect it with IP protection from Fortra DLP

 

 

IP drives growth, but most organizations struggle to protect it. Software source code, CAD files, and financial models create value, yet intellectual property is often unstructured data that traditional tools fail to detect or secure.

Fortra DLP delivers the industry’s most complete IP protection; it’s why we're once again ranked #1 for intellectual property protection by Gartner. 

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Get the Right Intellectual Property Protection

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Protect all types of intellectual property

Fortra IP protection software identifies and protects intellectual property in structured and unstructured data. It detects source code, CAD files, and sensitive documents that other tools miss, then applies controls to prevent loss or exposure. 

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Enable secure global collaboration

Share sensitive data with partners without losing control. Fortra IP services enforce policies that allow approved sharing while blocking unauthorized transfers, so teams move faster without risking trade secrets.

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Control access to sensitive data

Fortra IP protection enforces role-based access to intellectual property at the file and content level. It limits exposure to only those who need it and blocks access or sharing when users step outside defined policies. 

How Our Customer Stopped IP Theft

A Global 100 technology company lost critical intellectual property but could not prove who stole it. They deployed Fortra IP protection software, identified sensitive data, tracked user activity, and blocked unauthorized access. No IP theft has occurred since Fortra Data Loss Protection. 

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See How Fortra DLP Protects IP

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FAQs about IP Protection Solutions

Intellectual property (IP) refers to the intangible assets your business creates and depends on to compete. IP includes innovations, proprietary knowledge, creative work, and the internal information that drives how your company operates and grows.

In everyday business, intellectual property can take the form of:

  • Product and engineering deliverables, including source code, product designs, system architecture, and technical documentation.

  • Business-critical knowledge, including research, formulas, processes, pricing strategies, and internal playbooks

  • Brand and creative assets, such as logos, marketing content, written materials, and media.

  • Customer and operational data, including data sets, analytics models, and insights that guide decision-making. 

 

How to protect intellectual property

Protecting intellectual property involves more than legal registration. You must also manage how your company handles and shares sensitive information.

  • Identify and map your IP by locating sensitive files and data across your systems, teams, and tools.

  • Classify and label important assets. Mark trade secrets and proprietary data to ensure they receive appropriate protection.

  • Restrict access by role so only those who need the information for their work can see it.

  • Monitor data usage and movement. Track how IP is shared through email, devices, and cloud applications.

  • Prevent unauthorized sharing by using IP protection tools such as data loss prevention (DLP) software to stop leaks and data theft.

  • Manage insider and external risks by monitoring for large downloads, unusual transfers, or data sent outside the company.

Effective intellectual property protection requires visibility, control, and enforcement to ensure sensitive assets remain with authorized personnel. 

There are four main types of intellectual property. Each protects a different asset and requires a specific protection method.

Patents

Patents protect inventions, technical processes, and new methods. They grant the owner exclusive rights to use and commercialize the invention for a defined period.

  • Covers products, systems, and methods

  • Requires formal application and approval

  • Publicly discloses the invention in exchange for protection

  • Common in engineering, pharmaceuticals, and software innovation

Example: a proprietary algorithm, manufacturing process, or medical device

Trademarks

Trademarks protect brand identity. They help customers recognize your business and distinguish it from competitors.

  • Covers names, logos, slogans, and visual branding

  • Can last indefinitely if maintained and used

  • Prevents others from using confusingly similar branding

  • Plays a key role in brand trust and reputation

Example: a company name, product logo, or tagline

Copyrights

Copyrights protect original creative works, including both published and unpublished material.

  • Covers written content, images, videos, music, and code

  • Protection applies automatically upon creation in many cases

  • Grants rights to reproduce, distribute, and display the work

  • Common in media, marketing, and software development

Example: website content, marketing assets, product documentation, or source code

Trade secrets

Trade secrets protect confidential business information that provides a competitive advantage. Unlike other types, they are not registered and rely on secrecy.

  • Covers formulas, designs, processes, and internal data

  • No expiration as long as the information remains secret

  • Requires strict access controls and monitoring

  • High risk of insider threats and data leakage

Example: product designs, pricing models, customer data, or proprietary research

Trade secrets require the most active protection. Organizations often use IP protection software, such as data loss prevention tools, to control access, monitor usage, and prevent unauthorized sharing. 

Intellectual property theft occurs when organizations lack control over the movement of sensitive data and access permissions.

  • Insiders take sensitive data. Employees may download or share proprietary files before leaving the company.

  • Users share data through unapproved channels, such as personal email, messaging apps, or unsanctioned tools.

  • Teams may misconfigure cloud environments, resulting in open permissions and public links that expose proprietary data.

  • Attackers steal credentials. Phishing campaigns can provide access to accounts and sensitive information.

  • Users copy data to unmanaged devices, transferring files to local machines or USB drives without oversight.

  • Vendors may access excessive data, and third parties may handle sensitive information without proper restrictions. 

Organizations protect intellectual property in the cloud by controlling where sensitive data is stored and how users interact with it.

  • Data classification software identifies and labels intellectual property across cloud storage, collaboration tools, and SaaS platforms to apply appropriate protections. Organizations restrict access by role so only authorized users can view or edit sensitive data.

  • Data security posture management (DSPM) tools monitor user behavior to detect large downloads, unusual access patterns, and risky sharing. They block unauthorized actions, restrict risky integrations, and stop large data transfers that may indicate data exfiltration. 

IP management software tracks ownership and lifecycle, while IP protection software secures the underlying data and prevents loss or theft.

IP protection software

IP protection software prevents loss, theft, and exposure of sensitive data. It controls access, monitors activity, and blocks unauthorized sharing. These tools use technologies such as data loss prevention (DLP) to enforce security policies.

IP management software

IP management software tracks and manages formal intellectual property assets. It organizes patents, trademarks, and filings. Legal teams use these tools to manage portfolios and ensure compliance.