Book excerpt: This book provides a comprehensive guide to procuring, utilizing and monetizing intellectual property rights, tailored for readers in the high-tech consumer electronics and software industries, as well as technology startups. Numerous, real examples, case studies and scenarios are incorporated throughout the book to illustrate the topics discussed. Readers will learn what to consider throughout the various creative phases of a product’s lifespan from initial research and development initiatives through post-production. Readers will gain an understanding of the intellectual property protections afforded to U.S. corporations, methods to pro-actively reduce potential problems, and guidelines for future considerations to reduce legal spending, prevent IP theft, and allow for greater profitability from corporate innovation and inventiveness.