Intellectual property is, in short, any creative work or invention the creator has the rights to and may trademark or profit from. Generally, the idea of losing or destroying intellectual property might seem counterintuitive. But there are cases when you need to eliminate intellectual property, in the form of papers, files, products, or the like, without a trace. If you discard such information carelessly, someone may discover it. Such unauthorized access can result in the loss of money, competitive advantages, and so forth. When such material undergoes destruction, the person requesting disposal should receive a certificate of destruction. Here’s how a certificate of destruction protects intellectual property.
Positive Proof
A certificate of destruction states, in part, that whatever you submitted for destruction is now completely and permanently destroyed. It’s proof that whatever you’ve submitted is inaccessible through all means. That’s important. Some industries and fields are subject to laws that address the handling of personal and private records. In healthcare, organizations must uphold patient privacy, for example. Such records can’t just go with the trash because commercial enterprises, identity thieves, and other individuals could then find and exploit them. Should this happen and the original record holder go through a lawsuit for revealing private information, the certificate of destruction will show they performed their due diligence.
Secret Secrets
The best way to keep a secret is to tell no one. Confidentiality protects secrets, proprietary information, and the like. But when it comes time to toss old records and files containing sensitive data, the destruction must be absolute. Once again, the certificate of destruction is the final word on the utter destruction of that information, helping a company or person keep their secrets.
Gray Areas
The gray market is a not-quite-illegal marketplace where dealers carry products without the authorization of the original manufacturer. Sometimes these goods consist of off-spec and expired products slated for destruction that have somehow diverted to the gray market. This isn’t good for the manufacturer or customers who may believe they’re purchasing safe and worthy products directly from the original brand. When a reputable disposal company finishes performing secure product destruction, they’ll present a certificate of destruction, assuring those goods won’t show up anywhere.
Brand Safeguarding
Still wondering how a certificate of destruction protects intellectual property? It shows a company cares about protecting its brand. If questions ever come up about brand ownership and a company’s history of protecting it, certificates of destruction reveal that a company cares about its good name.
