Up to 80 per cent of small businesses in Bradford could be risking their incomes and reputations by failing to protect their intellectual property rights.

Jason Dainty, a solicitor with Yorkshire law firm Irwin Mitchell, is concerned that the region's smallest businesses, those with nine employees or fewer, are failing to protect their intellectual property in the form of new ideas, products and patents.

He said: "Virtually every business, however small, generates intellectual property, of which the most common form is the company name. Many others also have new products, concepts and ideas, which are often the result of costly and lengthy research and development.

"This leaves businesses in Bradford open to attack with diminished opportunities to recoup the investment they have made."

Mr Dainty said it was not just incomes that would suffer without adequate IP protection, but reputations could also be on the line.

He said: "When competitors duplicate IP they have no obligation to do so at the same quality, so inferior products can flood the market, damaging customer perceptions and potentially reducing the size of the customer base if buyers switch off completely.

"We believe up to 80 per cent of the region's small firms are failing to seek advice and address IP issues, and this could quickly knock the edge off Bradford's economy."