Intellectual property (IP) refers to innovative ideas in terms of branding, design, know-how and technical innovations. In particular, patents as protective rights for intellectual property play an important role in rewarding innovators for their inventions. While scientific prizes mostly provide for a cultural recognition patents and potential license fees may lead to a financial compensation for the effort inventors put in their research and development activities. E.g. the blue LED, giant magneto-resistance or scanning tunneling microscopes have their industrial applications in lighting, memory and nano-fabrication. The seminar will give an introduction to IP rights and the requisites for their procurement and enforcement. Some aspects of software patents and the rights and obligations of (university) employee inventors are discussed as well.