Cross-IP guides
7 expert-reviewed guides on Cross-IP
Most real products and businesses need more than one kind of IP. A single kitchen appliance can carry a patent for how it works, a design registration for how it looks, a trademark for its name and copyright in its manual and software. The guides in this hub look across those rights together, so you can decide what to protect, in what order, and what to keep confidential instead.
Written by MYCrave's team for inventors, founders, MSMEs, students and universities, this is the best place to start if you are not yet sure which right you need. Patent vs Trademark vs Copyright vs Design: What Protects What gives a plain comparison of the four main rights and when each one fits. Trade Secret vs Patent in India explains when confidential know-how is the better choice, what a patent asks you to disclose in return, and how a business can use both. For brand owners, Naam Mein Kya Rakha Hai? What's Really in a Brand Name shows why a name is often the most valuable thing a business owns, and what to check before you commit to one. Students and young inventors will find The MYCrave Young Innovators Index a useful record of inventions by children and teenagers, and of what happened to their patents.
If you already know which right you need, the Patent, Trademark, Design and Copyright topics go into each one in more depth.
7 Cross-IP guides
How to Choose an IPR Consultancy in India: 12 Questions to Ask Before You Hire Anyone
Twelve questions, a printable checklist and the red flags to watch for, so you can judge any IPR consultancy in India by the person, the fees and the paperwork.
Read the guideTrade Secret vs Patent in India: What to Patent, What to Keep Confidential, and How to Do Both
India has no trade secrets law and a patent publishes your method at 18 months. How to decide what to patent, what to keep confidential, and how to do both.
Read the guideWar, Tariffs and AI: Geopolitics and Intellectual Property Rights in 2026
War, tariffs and AI are reshaping intellectual property rights. What Indian innovators and exporters should verify, change and plan for before the next filing.
Read the guideThe MYCrave Young Innovators Index
133 verified inventions by children and teenagers, with ages, awards and IP outcomes, and a profile page for each innovator.
Read the guidePatent vs Trademark vs Copyright vs Design: What Protects What
Which IP protection do you actually need? A clear breakdown of what patents, trademarks, copyright and designs each protect.
Read the guideNaam Mein Kya Rakha Hai? What's Really in a Brand Name?
Shakespeare said a name means nothing. In trademark law it is usually the most valuable asset a business owns, and the one most often lost.
Read the guideTeen and Child Inventors: Chester Greenwood, Richie Stachowski and Kelly Reinhart
Three inventors who were children when they made something people still buy — and what students in India should know before they exhibit a project.
Read the guideFrequently asked questions
Which kind of IP protection do I need?
It depends on what gives your product or business its value. A patent covers how something works, a design covers how it looks, a trademark covers the name or logo customers know you by, and copyright covers creative expression such as text, artwork and software. Many products need more than one.
Should I patent my invention or keep it a trade secret?
A useful working rule is to patent what a competitor can see or work out from your product, and keep secret what stays inside your plant or server. A trade secret can last indefinitely but cannot stop independent development or reverse engineering. A patent gives you exclusivity for a fixed term, but in return the invention is published.
Are trade secrets protected in India without a trade secrets law?
Yes. India has no trade secrets statute, but courts protect confidential information through contracts such as NDAs and through the action for breach of confidence. You will usually need to show that the information was specific and not public, that it was shared in confidence, and that it was used or disclosed without permission.