What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of wealth? For most people, it’s tangible—money in the bank, real estate, stocks, or physical assets. But let me introduce you to a critical concept that doesn’t always get enough attention: intellectual property (IP). Today, I’m diving into why it matters and how it can make or break your business. Are you protecting your intellectual property by taking the necessary steps to ensure your ideas are protected and monetized?

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Author and entrepreneur Kary Oberbrunner has made it his mission to help people protect their ideas, brands, and creative work. In our conversation, Kary shared some powerful lessons and strategies about IP that every business owner, entrepreneur, and even everyday creator needs to understand.

The Surprising Truth About Protecting Your Intellectual Property

Kary kicked off the conversation with a mind-blowing statistic. Back in 1975, only 17% of the S&P 500’s assets were intangible—things like patents, trademarks, and other IP. Fast forward to today, and a staggering 90% of the value of those same companies is now tied up in intangible assets. In fact, by 2024, they estimate this number to be as high as 96%! If that doesn’t get your attention, I don’t know what will.

In short, the world has shifted. We’re no longer in a world where physical assets dominate. Instead, your ideas, your brand, and your processes are often your most valuable business assets. And yet, many of us overlook the importance of protecting them.

About Kary OberbrunnerWhy You Must Protect Your IdeasUnderstand the Value of Your Intellectual PropertyTiming is Everything in Protecting Your Intellectual PropertyProtecting Your Intellectual Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated or ExpensiveProtecting Your Intellectual Property is an Ongoing ProcessProtect What’s Yours, Before It’s Too LateTake Control of Your Intellectual Property TodayBook A Strategy Call

About Kary Oberbrunner

KARY OBERBRUNNER is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of 14 books. As CEO of Igniting Souls® and Instant IP™ he helps abundant-minded & coachable-competent entrepreneurs PUBLISH, PROTECT, and PROMOTE their intellectual property and turn it into 18 streams of income so they can change the world.

An award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and inventor, he’s been featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, CBS, Fox News, Yahoo, and many other major media outlets. His TEDx has been viewed over 1 million times.

As a young man, he suffered from severe stuttering, depression, and self-injury. Today a transformed man, Kary ignites souls: speaking internationally on a variety of topics and consulting the world's top entrepreneurs and brands regarding publishing, protecting, and promoting intellectual property.

He has several earned degrees, including a Bachelor of Arts, Masters in Divinity, and Doctorate in Transformational Leadership. He also serves as the Berry Chair of Entrepreneurship at Cedarville University, where he teaches on the topics of Entrepreneurship and Digital Marketing.

Why You Must Protect Your Ideas

If you’re a business owner or an entrepreneur, you already know that your ideas, your innovations, and your unique ways of doing things are what set you apart. But here’s the challenge: most of us don’t think about protecting those ideas until it’s too late. That’s why this conversation with Kary Oberbrunner was so important. His focus on helping businesses recognize their intellectual property as their greatest asset—and protecting it—was eye-opening.

What if someone came along and copied your brand, your process, or your proprietary method? Without protection, you could find yourself out of business or stuck in a legal battle. But protecting your IP is not just for giant companies like Apple or Nike. It’s something we all need to think about—whether you’re running a family business, a startup,