1 January 1970
Creative Barcode - New barcode to protect early stage creative business concepts is launched
Creative Barcode™ – a digitally-encoded online IP protection system – safeguards knowledge-based creative concepts and propositions at the pre-commercialisation presentation stage
A UK-based startup company has launched a unique new software application that protects ideas. Creative Barcode™ protects knowledge-based creative business concepts by embedding application-driven digital codes into written and visual concepts, proposals and creative works to denote ownership and permission-based usage. Created by designers and innovators, it is a new, simple and effective form of intellectual property protection.
The innovative new software application can be downloaded by professional originators, creative individuals and innovative companies who wish to present their confidential new concepts, products and proposals to third parties. The device bestows ‘proof of ownership’ protection at the pre-commercialisation stage when making pitches, sharing ideas and know-how, entering into creative partnerships or submitting proposals and tenders.
Each barcode embeds a unique number to each new project, enabling originators to digitally tag, encode and date their work, denote its origins and ownership, and record and track its use by visiting www.creativebarcode.com, registering online and downloading the software application. It also offers prospective buyers the route to collaboration, purchase or licensing of concepts.
A high-visibility Creative Barcode™ (seen above) can be inserted into a wide range of digital, text, graphic or CAD files, or paper-based media. Registered users can forward their project files to third parties via the Creative Barcode™ file transfer area, which adds a password unique to the recipient when downloading. This enables the system to track third party receipt of files, and registers the recipient’s agreement to their permission-based conditions.
In addition, a ‘transfer of ownership’ feature is built into the Creative Barcode® software application which can also record relevant exclusions, trading areas etc. This enables those selling or licensing their concepts to re-assign ownership to the purchaser and generate a ‘transfer of ownership’ certificate. Until this is done, the work remains the sole property of the originator.
“Creative Barcode is an ethical, efficient and transparent method of knowledge and concept exchange which optimises open innovation,” said Emily Miller, Creative Barcode’s MD.
The problem until now had been that professional originators such as industrial designers, inventors, scientists, technologists, design engineers and others risk the misappropriation of the core proposition, know-how or creative intent of their work when presenting confidential ideas, concepts and proposals that are still at a conceptual stage to prospective investors, business partners and customers. Before Creative Barcode™ little or no meaningful protection of such conceptual knowledge-based work had been possible.
“Creative Barcode™ is a long awaited-innovation that creates a level playing field between originators and prospective route-to-market-partners,” said Maxine Horn, Creative Barcode’s CEO.
“The vulnerability originators previously faced, due to the risk of misappropriation of their previously-unprotected work, has been one of the biggest issues affecting the motivation and growth of the creative industries. That barrier to open innovation and knowledge exchange can now be dismantled and replaced with our new, permission-based, ethical trading model.”
A Creative Barcode™ forms an agreement between all parties that the tagged propositions, proposals and creative works may not be commercialised by those commissioning, soliciting, viewing or negotiating the use of them without the originator’s permission. In this way, Creative Barcode™ benefits both originators and procurers by encouraging trust-based opportunities for collaboration, open innovation and the trading of concepts between originators and route-to-market partners.
Creative Barcode™ also supports best practice in ethical trading and procurement policies. To this end the company has also launched an online Trust Charter© to enable creative firms, clients, investors, trade bodies and others to register their support for ethical trading policies.
© Creative Barcode™ 2010. All rights reserved.
Creative Barcode™ is the trademark of Creative Barcode.
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Notes to Editors
Contacts
Maxine Horn Tel: +44 (0)7803 297 150 m.j.horn@creativebarcode.com
Emily Miller Tel: +44 (0)7717 022 536 e.r.miller@creativebarcode.com
Creative Barcode | 6 Blenheim Place | Brighton BN1 4AE | UK |creativebarcode.com
Twitter@creativebarcode Facebook: Creative Barcode LinkedIn Group: Creative Barcode
About Creative Barcode™
Creative Barcode™ is the trading name of the software application, the digital barcode, and the not-for-profit organisation that created and markets the product. Benefitting both originators and procurers, a Creative Barcode™ denotes that no element of the tagged work may be used without the originators’ permission.
It enables registered firms to embed data-encoded barcodes into strategic proposals, detailed propositions and digital, 2D and 3D creative work. The barcode and information panel identifies the owner of the creative work, includes a simple ‘authorisation of usage’ agreement for recipients, and enables online database recording, tracking and monitoring of file distribution to and download by third parties.
The online subscription is an annual fee of £30 + VAT which includes five barcodes. Additional barcodes, costing from £4.00 to £6.00 each, based on quantity of barcodes purchased, can be bought online as required. Further information is available at www.creativebarcode.com
The Creative Barcode™ Team
Maxine J Horn, Chief Executive Officer. Maxine has been the CEO of British Design Innovation (BDI), the trade association for designers and innovators for 17 years, and is the initiator of Creative Barcode™. With over 20 years’ experience in the design, innovation and knowledge transfer sectors of the creative industries, she is a member of the UKIPO B2B Strategy Group, a pioneer of Open Innovation and an acknowledged opinion-former. Maxine was a runner-up in the First Women Awards 2010 for business pioneers. m.j.horn@creativebarcode.com
Emily Miller, Managing Director. Emily is responsible for management, marketing and business development. She has a MBA from the London Business School and has worked as a marketer and business developer of services for over 20 years in sectors as diverse as legal training, stockbroking, corporate finance and design. Emily is also a regional director of British Design Innovation, London. e.r.miller@creativebarcode.com
Richard Wolfströme, Creative Director, Brand & Design Guardian. An entrepreneurial award-winning designer with over 22 years’ experience, Richard’s body of work includes projects across a diverse range of sectors, from public, blue chip corporate, film and media, to the arts. Richard is a board member of the International Society of Typographic Designers, a regional director of the South Coast Design Forum and a regional director of British Design Innovation, South East. r.wolfstrome@creativebarcode.com
Nathanael Marsh, Application Development Director. Nat is a director of Advanced Media Associates and an award-winning designer of user interfaces, applications and service design. Trained in film production, graphic and multimedia design, Nat's core strength is taking raw information and translating it into easily-understood and visually exciting formats, applying this underlying principle to video, web design, CD-Rom design or application development. n.marsh@creativebarcode.com
David Farrington, Technical Director. A BSc (Hons) graduate of Brighton University in Digital Media Development, David marries an aptitude for programming web-based and desktop applications to a technical mastery of PCs and Macs, and multimedia and design experience to his knowledge of Autodesk, Adobe, Quark and Microsoft products. d.farrington@creativebarcode.com
Emily Miller, Managing Director
Creative Barcode
UK
e.r.miller@creativebarcode.com
www.creativebarcode.com
