Far too many of my angel colleagues are fixated on patents as the source of sustainable competitive advantage. While these are often the source of competitive barriers they are by no means the only effective method for generating high growth. In fact, there are many situations where the patent itself provides little growth momentum. We [...]
Interesting post on Jason Calcanis’ blog this week (also picked up by Ben Kuo and SocalTECH) with further thoughts on Angel groups charging startup companies to pitch. All of his posts on the topic are not only good reading, but accurately describe what goes on within some Angel groups (e.g., These pay-for-play scams remind me [...]
Patents, trade secrets, know-how, copyrights, and trademarks can be crucial to your business. Managing this intellectual property can make the difference between fortune and failure. This brochure presents ten recommendations for protecting what belongs to you. In the spirit of David Letterman, here’s my Top 10 List. #1 Obtain written assignments of all inventions and [...]
Intellectual property litigation can be the death knell of a startup. Not only is the litigation costly, it distracts the company founders from operating and growing the business, and it makes it a lot it harder (if not impossible) to raise capital. If the litigation turns out really badly, an injunction can be issued that [...]
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Intellectual Property Tips for Start Ups
By Lee Rahn As an Angel investor and retired intellectual property lawyer I am struck by the amount of money spent by startups for IP. There are so many cash demands made on a new venture that I think management should consider engaging in more self-help to meet their IP needs. Government websites offer much [...]