Cheap IP Protection: How to Protect Your Ideas for Under £50
Patents cost £15,000-£50,000 and take years. Blockchain timestamps give you court-ready IP protection in minutes—starting from just £10. Here's how to protect your intellectual property without breaking the bank.
Key Takeaway
Cheap IP protection doesn't mean weak protection. Blockchain timestamps create permanent, court-admissible proof that you owned your ideas at a specific time. Combined with trade secret law, this approach often provides stronger protection than patents—at 1/1000th the cost.
In This Guide
1. Why Cheap IP Protection Matters
The traditional IP protection system has a cost problem. Most inventors, startups, and small businesses simply cannot afford patents—and that's by design. The patent system was built for large corporations with legal budgets.
But here's what the IP industry doesn't want you to know: expensive doesn't mean better. Many forms of intellectual property are actually better protected through cheaper methods.
The Cost Reality
The question isn't whether you can afford IP protection—it's whether you're choosing the right type for your situation.
3. Cheap IP Protection Options Compared
Here are the main low-cost options for protecting intellectual property, ranked by effectiveness and cost:
Blockchain Timestamps (Best Value)
Creates permanent, court-admissible proof that you had specific information at a specific time. Your content stays private while the proof is public and independently verifiable.
Trade Secret Documentation
Document your confidential information and implement reasonable security measures. Combined with timestamps, this creates strong legal protection.
Copyright (Automatic)
Automatically protects creative works, code, documentation, and designs. No registration required in the UK, though timestamps help prove ownership.
Unregistered Design Rights
Protects the visual appearance of products automatically when created. Lasts 10-15 years depending on jurisdiction.
Poor Man's Patent (NOT Recommended)
Mailing documents to yourself. This is unreliable, easily challenged in court, and provides no real protection. Blockchain timestamps are far superior.
4. Blockchain: The Best Value IP Protection
Blockchain timestamps have transformed cheap IP protection from "cutting corners" to "smart strategy." Here's why they offer the best value:
How It Works
- Upload your document: Your invention description, design files, research data, or any IP you want to protect.
- Cryptographic hash created: A unique digital fingerprint of your exact file. Any change creates a different hash.
- Recorded on blockchain: The hash (not your document) is permanently recorded with a timestamp. Your content stays private.
- Certificate issued: You receive court-ready documentation proving your document existed at that exact moment.
Why Cheap Doesn't Mean Weak
"Blockchain evidence combines the best qualities for proving facts in court: it's created at the relevant time, cannot be tampered with, and can be independently verified without relying on either party's assertions."
— UK Jurisdiction Taskforce, Legal Statement on Cryptoassets
5. Is Cheap IP Protection Legally Valid?
Yes. Cheap IP protection through blockchain timestamps and trade secrets has strong legal backing:
Trade Secret Protection
- UK: Trade Secrets (Enforcement, etc.) Regulations 2018
- EU: Trade Secrets Directive 2016/943
- US: Defend Trade Secrets Act 2016
Blockchain Evidence Recognition
- UK Civil Evidence Act 1995 accepts electronic records
- EU eIDAS Regulation recognises electronic timestamps
- Chinese courts have explicitly accepted blockchain evidence since 2018
- Multiple US states have blockchain evidence legislation
What Courts Look For
Independence: Evidence from systems you don't control (blockchain is decentralised)
Integrity: Proof the evidence hasn't been altered (cryptographic verification)
Contemporaneity: Created at the relevant time (timestamps are immutable)
Blockchain timestamps satisfy all three requirements better than most traditional evidence methods—including expensive notarisation.
6. Who Benefits Most from Cheap IP Protection?
Startups and Early-Stage Companies
Need to protect IP but can't afford patent budgets. Blockchain timestamps let you document everything during development, creating an evidence trail for later patent decisions or trade secret protection.
Independent Inventors
Working on inventions without corporate resources. Cheap IP protection lets you secure your ideas as you develop them, proving priority if disputes arise.
Researchers and Academics
Need to document discoveries before publication. Timestamps prove you had ideas before publishing or sharing with collaborators.
Creative Professionals
Designers, writers, and artists protecting work from copying. Copyright is automatic, but timestamps prove when you created it.
Small Manufacturers
Protecting trade secrets like processes, formulas, and methods. These are often better protected as secrets than patents anyway.
7. How to Get Started Today
Getting cheap IP protection is simple. Here's how to start protecting your intellectual property in the next 10 minutes:
Document Your IP
Create a detailed description of your invention, process, or creative work. Include technical specifications, development notes, and any unique aspects.
Create a Blockchain Timestamp
Upload your documentation to immut. We'll create a cryptographic hash and record it on the blockchain. You receive a court-ready certificate proving your document existed at that moment.
Implement Basic Security
Mark documents as confidential, use password protection, and limit access to need-to-know. This establishes trade secret status.
Update as You Develop
Create new timestamps as your IP evolves. This builds a documented development history that strengthens your position in any dispute.
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Get Cheap IP Protection That Actually Works
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About immut: immut provides blockchain-based intellectual property protection as a cheap, effective alternative to patents. Our platform creates permanent, court-ready proof of creation in seconds—starting from just £10. Learn more at immut.io.