The Law Society has urged UK inventors of Apple iPhone applications to secure their intellectual property rights by seeking advice from a solicitor.

Apple iPhone applications or 'apps' can be worth tens of thousands of pounds in revenue, and anyone with the PC skills and a good idea can create one. But as the rush to create new apps gathers pace, prospective 'app-inventors' have been warned by the Law Society that they will be one step ahead if they are aware of copyright and intellectual property laws to ensure their ideas are properly protected.

Isabel Davies, chairwoman of the Law Society intellectual property working group and senior partner for intellectual property at City firm CMS Cameron McKenna, said many businesses or individuals hold substantial intellectual property rights without realising it. The Law Society warning was aimed at increasing awareness of this among entrepreneurs and small businesses.

One area of potential legal contention for app makers is the rights held by third parties. Infringing on the IP rights of third parties in an iPhone app can have highly damaging financial consequences. Similarly, successful app makers should ensure that third parties are not infringing on any rights that they hold or are benefiting unfairly from the goodwill they have established.

Image courtesy of Apple