Intellectual Property: How to Keep What is Yours… Yours Andrew T. Mirsky Mirsky & Company, PLLC Mirsky & Company, PLLC (“Kenyon”) has provided this presentation for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as professional counsel and should not be used as such. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem.
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Intellectual Property: How to Keep What's Yours... Yours
It’s the little things we do along the way that can make the biggest difference in the end. This presentation offers a basic yet comprehensive approach to intellectual property issues that can arise in everyday business. Includes types of intellectual property and non-legal responses to idea theft.
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Intellectual Property: How to Keep What is Yours… Yours
Andrew T. Mirsky Mirsky & Company, PLLC
Mirsky & Company, PLLC (“Kenyon”) has provided this presentation for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as professional
counsel and should not be used as such. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem.
Andrew T. Mirsky, Esq.
• Principal, Mirsky & Company, PLLC, DC and NY
• Formerly in-house counsel with National Journal and Atlantic Monthly magazines
• Clients in new media and technology, including intellectual property, corporate and finance, privacy, joint ventures and partnerships, and employment and HR matters.
• Founder, Media Future Now (www.mediafuturenow.com)
What can COPYRIGHTS really do for me? What does it mean to COPYRIGHT software and what kind of protection does it get you (and not get you)?
2. WHAT is and what is not “protectable” intellectual property?
• Trademark: Great for branding and unique names – assuming they have value. But not much more. On other hand, the name “Apple” and “Coca Cola” incredibly valuable.
• Federal and State laws apply • Words, phrases, designs, shapes, sounds, and even smells and
colors, used to identify one’s goods/services and distinguish them from goods/services of others
• Owner is the first person to use or register as mark for this good/service
• Indefinite term – fed registration lasts 10 years but can be extended. Costs nominal
• “Descriptive” trademarks: E.g. “New York Trucking Company”
What can I do with a
TRADEMARK?
2. WHAT is and what is not “protectable” intellectual property?
What are TRADE SECRETS and how are they distinct from patent or copyright?
• E.g. Coca-Cola and why beneficial, but also limitations • Federal and State laws apply • Must keep secret and must take steps to keep
confidential. If it’s on the company website, it’s not a trade secret
• Prohibits use by others if learned in an improper manner (e.g., theft, deception, etc.)
• Reverse engineering OK • No notice requirement; indefinite term • Cannot get copyright or patent, which would nix trade
2. WHAT is and what is not “protectable” intellectual property?
• Trademark, copyright, patents
• Copyright is easiest – it exists without having to file anything
• Trademark is next
• Then patent
File registrations (obviously):
• Work-for-hire agreements
• NDAs
• Careful contracts with partners (being clear about who owns what)
What else?
3. What can you do to protect what is “protectable”?
Problem #1: How do you prevent the value
of the company – personnel, know-how,
IP – from walking across the street and
setting up a new (competing) venture?
Noncompetes
Nonsolicitation Confidentiality
3. What can you do to protect what is “protectable”?
Some More Questions
4. What about the other stuff? What if the ideas aren’t technically “protectable”? What then:
The problem with true “ideas”. How to protect?
5. What do you do if someone steals your idea? You’ve done what you could to protect it, and
now someone comes along and does what you feared. Now what?
Problem #2: You have a business plan, a
concept, a script or really just an idea for
doing something. You want to pursue it somehow, but you’re
worried about sharing it with
anybody.
Patent publication/1st to file: What is the
issue with US vs Europe rules on
“publication” of the patent and how that
does or does not affect ability to obtain
patent?
Non-disclosure Confidentiality
Agreements (NDAs). Is it necessary to
have all interested parties sign an NDA before reviewing a
business plan or even taking a
meeting? What benefits? Would this even protect
anything realistically? And how do you deal
with the situation where some
companies or people simply won’t sign
NDAs?
What is “work for hire” and what significance?
Basically, you want to do everything to make sure
that anything that anyone does for you as a
developer, contractor, employee, business partner, vendor or
whatever is owned by you or your new
company.
Investors and Business Partners?
Be clear from get-go about who owns
what. Seems obvious, but very
often glossed over in rush to get a deal
done.
4. What about the other stuff? What if the ideas aren’t technically “protectable”? What then: The problem with true “ideas”. How to protect?
1. Don’t sue – market: Ride the publicity created by the competitor
and re-position your product or service as the premium or better
product. Use smart marketing and social media. Competitor’s entering the market could be the best thing
that ever happened.
2. Expect knockoffs: You can only do so much to protect ideas that really are not all that original, and your best strategy is first-to-
market, better product and better marketing. Even if you defeat one competitor through
legal means, another better-financed one will inevitably come along if you make the market case as obvious to competitors. Expect it and
be prepared to deal with it.
3. PR and Social Media: Use PR, social media and other smart
marketing. Go to bloggers, David and Goliath-like. Use that to your
advantage.
4. Fight Fire with Fire: Bury negative commentary from competitors with your own
positive commentary.
5. What to do if someone steals your idea? You’ve done what you could – with legal protections - to protect it, and now someone comes along and steals. Now what? Some NON-legal responses: