Intellectual Property

Definitions

Legally protectable creations such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and proprietary know-how owned or controlled by a company. In startups, clean intellectual property ownership is critical for diligence and value creation.
In plain English: Legally protected ideas, creations, and proprietary knowledge owned by the company.
Example: "The acquirer cared as much about intellectual property assignment as about the code itself."