Intellectual property is the lifeblood of any organization. It is what distinguishes one company from another and is the main reason customers buy the products and services that they do. This is why IP theft is so important and can have such an impact on individual businesses and the economy as a whole. In fact, reportedly, IP theft costs the U.S. economy more than $300 billion every year. The infographic below, created by software provider i-Sight, takes an interesting look at the scope of the problem and the efforts to prevent it.

For more on the topic, be sure to check out our special section on IP risks in the latest issue o fRisk Management magazine.