The Chatter We Make

It was the kind of public exposure that most entrepreneurs can only dream of. First, Emma Cohen's company, Final Straw, took off on Kickstarter, ultimately raising $1.6 million on the crowdfunding site. Then, she landed a coveted chance to present her reusable, collapsible straw on ABC's Shark Tank. Two groups of impressed Sharks made her an offer. 

That's when things started to go wrong. Very wrong.

In terms of trademark protections, Amazon built a great fortress with its Brand Registry. However, the company's latest foray into the IP process, IP Accelerator, may just have blown a hole in its walls. 

Having been involved in a start-up as an engineer and having worked closely with start-ups as an IP attorney since 2006, I’ve come to realize there are four “pillars” that determine whether a startup will ultimately be successful: Capital, Idea, Team, and Timing.

The internet and social media offer incredible marketing opportunities for businesses, but proceed with caution to avoid legal landmines! Here are a few tips for navigating potential IP issues with memes, hashtags, and emojis.

When new companies are moving forward with a product at a rapid pace, some of the last things on their minds are details like patents, inventorship, and other intellectual property matters.

Coca-Cola has one. So does Kentucky Fried Chicken. And of course, there’s the one that Google has that determines what you’ll see in your search results.

If you’re a small business and you hear the words “you need an attorney”, you likely envision buckets of money flying out the window. However, protecting your intellectual property as a small business, startup, or pre-funded company doesn’t have to be difficult or insanely costly. 

When we think of patents, many people think first of utility patents — the kind that protect the function of an invention. But there’s another type of patent that recently made news headlines that could be crucial to protecting your intellectual property.