(148c) Start-up, Spin-out, Don’t Burn-Out: Protecting Your Intellectual Assets on a Shoestring Budget

The discussion will include a general overview of intellectual property rights and why they are important for emerging growth companies (e.g., entrepreneurs, start-ups, university spin-outs) to consider early in the life of the company. The discussion will compare and contrast patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret protections. The discussion will include steps an emerging growth company can perform on their own without having to involve an outside consultant (e.g., attorney). The discussion will include common pitfalls when obtaining intellectual property rights and creative ways emerging growth companies can enforce their rights to deter competition or generate revenue. And of course, throughout the discussion, we will discuss how to pay for it all. This discussion is geared toward non-patent professionals, such as engineers, scientists, managers, and c-suite executives.