In a world of creators, here’s how advisors can help clients protect their intellectual property

Taylor Swift performs in Toronto last November. Her decision to trademark key lyrics and her own name in multiple countries allowed her to control her brand.

In 1924, a New Zealand horticulturalist developed a kiwi fruit so flavourful and resilient it would dominate the global market. But he made one costly mistake: he never secured legal protection. Soon thereafter, other growers swooped in, mass-produced the fruit, and pocketed the profits. The horticulturalist never saw a cent.

“That’s what happens when intellectual property rights are not asserted and protected,” says Holly LeValliant, an estate and trust consultant at Bank of Nova Scotia in Toronto. “He lost his commercial advantage and suffered significant financial loss.”

From agricultural innovations to rock ’n’ roll hits, creat