Intellectual Property for Entrepreneurs (Coursera)

Intellectual Property for Entrepreneurs (Coursera)

For aspiring and active entrepreneurs, this course focuses on the opportunities and challenges of intellectual property. Intellectual property is a commonly discussed, often misunderstand, element of entrepreneurship and law. Knowing how to create and manage patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets is a valuable skill for entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Regardless of size and industry, a business’s intellectual property is often more valuable than its physical assets. Companies invest tremendous resources in developing innovative new products and services. Intellectual property law discourages competitors from immediately profiting from another’s invention, and provides incentives for continued innovation.
"Intellectual Property for Entrepreneurs" is one of three courses in the "Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship Specialization" by Coursera and the University of Maryland. This specialization explores the critical legal and business issues entrepreneurs face as they build and launch a new venture. Learners examine real-world scenarios and address legal and business issues from ideation to all of the important junctures along the path to success. Significant attention is placed on new venture formation, intellectual property management, and contracts and financing arrangements.

What You Will Learn

  • Understand intellectual property and how it impacts the success of entrepreneurs and companies.
  • Learn what is patentable and how to secure a patent.
  • Know how copyrights and trademarks are created and managed.
  • Appreciate the role that trade secrets play in companies.

Course 2 of 3 in the Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship Specialization

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Introduction to Intellectual Property for Entrepreneurs
Get acquainted with the learning experience and course format, meet the faculty, and connect with classmates from across the globe.

WEEK 2
Patents

WEEK 3
Copyright, Trademark, and Trade Secrets

WEEK 4
Next Steps

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Grow to Greatness: Smart Growth for Private Businesses, Part I (Coursera) Coursera
University of Virginia

Grow to Greatness: Smart Growth for Private Businesses, Part I (Coursera)

This course focuses on the common growth challenges faced by existing private businesses when they attempt to grow substantially. What you will learn: common myths and truths about growth in business; growth readiness assessment; the 4 P's of growing a business: planning, prioritization, pace and process; four ways to grow your business: scale and CVP, innovating, outsourcing and strategic acquisitions.

Nov 9th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Social Impact Strategy: Tools for Entrepreneurs and Innovators (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pennsylvania

Social Impact Strategy: Tools for Entrepreneurs and Innovators (Coursera)

This course offers an introduction to social impact strategy and social entrepreneurship, including key concepts, an overview of the field, and tools to get started as a changemaker. Students will learn how to innovate and design new ideas and new organizational forms to implement those ideas. Students who take this course will be better prepared to launch social impact organizations of their own invention.

Nov 16th 2026
4 Weeks
Design-Led Strategy: Design thinking for business strategy and entrepreneurship (Coursera) Coursera
The University of Sydney

Design-Led Strategy: Design thinking for business strategy and entrepreneurship (Coursera)

This course is for entrepreneurial managers who are looking for tools and techniques to introduce exciting, innovative products or services to market quickly and informed by high-quality customer insights. It is applicable to a range of organizations from small-medium sized enterprises through to corporates, and across a range of industrial segments.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Innovation Through Design: Think, Make, Break, Repeat (Coursera) Coursera
The University of Sydney

Innovation Through Design: Think, Make, Break, Repeat (Coursera)

The evolution of design has seen it become a discipline no longer limited to the concerns of a singular, specific domain and develop to become a pathway for solving complex, nonlinear problems. Design is becoming a capability-enhancing skill, equipping people with the ability to deal with uncertainty, complexity and failure. In this course, we demonstrate how you can use design as a way of thinking to provide strategic and innovative advantage within your profession.

Nov 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Structure: Building the Frame for Business Growth (Coursera) Coursera
Michigan State University

Structure: Building the Frame for Business Growth (Coursera)

Just like when building a house the foundation for your business provides the framework for success. A business built on weak structure will struggle to succeed. We'll address some of the most pressing issues that you as a business owner must face while constructing the proper framework for your business.

Nov 23rd 2026
4 Weeks
European Business Law: Doing Business in Europe (Coursera) Coursera
Lund University

European Business Law: Doing Business in Europe (Coursera)

This six-week course titled Doing Business in Europe is the second in a series of three exploring some of the main business aspects of European Union law. Besides providing learners with a sound knowledge base of European laws and regulations relevant to establishing and managing a company within the European Union, the course also explores business considerations within a broader perspective by including inputs from leading law practitioners in the field.

Nov 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Creativity And Entrepreneurship (Coursera) Coursera
Berklee College of Music

Creativity And Entrepreneurship (Coursera)

Creativity & Entrepreneurship will help you tap into your inner creativity and learn how to leverage it for career development or business innovation. Presented by Berklee Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship founder Panos Panay, this course features interviews with world renown entrepreneurs, innovators, songwriters, producers, creative directors, educators, performers, visual artists and chefs as they discuss parallels between the creative and entrepreneurial journeys.

Nov 16th 2026
4 Weeks
Copyright for Educators & Librarians (Coursera) Coursera
Duke University,Emory University,University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Copyright for Educators & Librarians (Coursera)

Fear and uncertainty about copyright law often plagues educators and sometimes prevents creative teaching. This course is a professional development opportunity designed to provide a basic introduction to US copyright law and to empower teachers and librarians at all grade levels. Course participants will discover that the law is designed to help educators and librarians.

Nov 9th 2026
5-12 Weeks
From Idea to Startup (Coursera) Coursera
Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

From Idea to Startup (Coursera)

How do you implement ideas? This course provides practical proven tools for transforming an idea into a product or service that creates value for others. As students acquire these tools, they learn how to tell bad ideas from good, how to build a winning strategy, how to shape a unique value proposition, prepare a business plan, compare their innovation to existing solutions, build flexibility into their plan and determine when best to quit.

Nov 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Corporate & Commercial Law I: Contracts & Employment Law (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Corporate & Commercial Law I: Contracts & Employment Law (Coursera)

This class deals with the business law topics that appear on the CPA exam: Agency, Contracts, Debtor-Creditor Relationships, Government Regulation of Business, and Business Organizations. Students will gain an understanding of how these areas of the law affect businesses and their operations, with an eye on preparation for the business law portions of the REG section of the CPA exam.

Nov 16th 2026
4 Weeks