Intellectual Property For The Startup and Small Business

Andrew L. Eisenberg

www.leehayes.com

@LeeHayesLaw

About Your Speaker Andrew L. Eisenberg

• Partner – Lee & Hayes, PLLC

• Former General Counsel – Audiotoniq, Inc.

• Founder – Startup Law Austin

• Co-Founder – First Success

• Registered Patent Attorney – USPTO

• Named Inventor on 3 Issued Patents

- University of Michigan – B.S.E

- University of Notre Dame – J.D.

@andreweisenberg

Domain 711501 Alterra Parkway, Suite 450 Austin, Texas 78758

512.456.5140

andrew@leehayes.com

Changing Landscape of Intellectual Property

1970 TODAY

S&P 500

Intangible

Tangible

S&P 500

Intangible

Tangible

What is Intellectual Property?

Patents

TrademarksTM

Copyrights

How Can IP Support My Business?

TRADEMARKBASICSIdentity

• Brand Identifier

• In Commerce

• For the Consumer

• Characters, Symbols, Words, Phrases, Slogans, Images, Design elements, Sounds, Scents, Shapes

• Geographic Limits

• Types of Goods

WHAT TOTRADEMARKAll About the Brand • Product Name

• Company Name

• Logo

• Slogans

• Labels/Packaging

HOW TO TRADEMARKThink Consumer

• Identify where I do business and

• Identify where I want to do business

• Identify who the customers are

• Identify current and future products/product lines

• Determine consumer facing brands

• Obtain the desired Domain Name

• Commission the graphics

• Register the marks

PATENTBASICSPurpose

• New, Useful, and Non-Obvious

• Public Disclosure

• Roughly 20 years from filing

PATENTPROVISIONALSPlace Holder

• Pros:• Reduced Fees• Editable• Secures date• Reduced requirements• Never publishes

• Cons:• Never issues• Starts utility timer• Only applicable to

extent subject matter is described

HOW TO PATENTNot Just About Your Idea

• Identify key concepts from your product

• Identify competitors and potential purchasers

• Identify related assets of the competitors and purchasers

• Identify differentials

COPYRIGHT BASICSCreative

• Instantaneous and Automatic • Creative Expression v. Factual

Content

• Term 120 or Life plus 70 years

• Registration (copyright.gov)

• Statutory Damages

• Software (first 10 pages + last 10 pages)

InfringementAccess

• Copying • Distributing

• Reproduction/Performance

• Re-Transmission

• Display

• Derivative Works

HOW TO COPYRIGHTPublic Access

• Would someone copy? • Is there access?

• Will I know?

STRATEGYGoal Portfolio • Initial Filing(s)

• Plan for Continuations

• Provisionals v. Utility

• Reserved Ideas

• Mix and Match

• Quality and Quantity

Balancing the Costs of IP

• Merchandising “cool

factor”

• Counterfeiting

• Growth Stage

• Reverse Engineering

• License Opportunity

• Exit Strategy – Purchasers

• Timing

Intellectual Property Priorities

Questions?

www.leehayes.com

@LeeHayesLaw

@andreweisenberg

Domain 7 11501 Alterra Parkway, Suite 450 Austin, Texas 78758

512.456.5140

andrew@leehayes.com