You're sharing material samples for testing. How do you prevent unintentional intellectual property theft?
In materials science, sharing samples for testing is commonplace, but it also poses risks to your intellectual property (IP). When you send out a material sample, you're potentially giving away the secrets of its composition, structure, or synthesis. Protecting your IP is crucial to maintaining a competitive edge and ensuring your hard work doesn't benefit a competitor or get misused without proper credit or compensation. This article will guide you through the precautions you can take to prevent unintentional IP theft while still engaging in necessary testing and collaboration.