Protect yourself Protecting brand identity is crucial for any successful business; and offline there is over two hundred years' worth of case law to guide companies and their attorneys. But what about protecting an online brand identity, such as a user interface design? Of course, online businesses have the same tools available to them as those offline: copyright, patents, trademarks, and trade dress. However, intellectual property law as it applies to screen-based delivery systems is a new and quickly developing area of the law. How it evolves will be extremely important for the future of e-commerce. Trade dress has become central to this evolution in recent years and will continue to be, as companies find it the best way to protect their online identities. To be eligible for this protection, however, screen-based delivery systems must meet certain standards, including distinctiveness. A web site that cannot be protected by trade dress is extremely vulnerable, as other businesses steal its successful design and lure away customers who would otherwise remain loyal.