Disclaimer: This presentation is intended to be general information. Nothing in the presentation constitutes legal advice. Please consult with an attorney before making any intellectual property protection decisions.

Don’t Risk it All!TEN TIPS

FOR MAXIMIZING BUSINESS VALUE

MARCH 2, 2016

Mary Juetten Founder & CEO Trak-light@traklight@maryjuet-ten

Forbes, ABA LegalTech Contributor

30 years business experi-ence

J.D., CPA, CA MSNBC, AZ PBS, SXSW

V2V, LAUNCH Speaker

SUCCESS Magazine Start Small, Win Big 2013

winner

Business World

IS YOUR BIZ AT RISK?

GET LEGAL

GET PEOPLE

GET OFFERING

NOT GET SUED

SELL OR RETIRE

Competing Daily Tasks

GET LEGAL

#1 – ENTITY & EIN

#2 – BOOKSRECORDSINSURANCE

#1 - Don’t go it alone – get an

entity!LLC, C or S CorpLimit personal

liability

#2 - Books Records TaxesInsurance

GET PEOPLE

#3 – AGREEMENTS

#4 – EMPLOYEE v.CONTRAC-

TOR

#3 - Co-Founders &

Team

Handshakes = Headaches

Napkin Agree-ments

too

#4: Employee

v. Contractor

Fines, Penalties (don’t forget interns)

GROW #5 – NAMES

#6 – OUTSIDE CRE-

ATORS

#7 – INNOVATION CAP-

TURE

Homepage

#5 – Protect Names – TM or ®

Domain = TM

IP Misconception

$$$$$$$$$$$ = RE-BRAND

#6 - Work for Hire –

branding & software

If I pay for it, I own it.

IP Misconception

Patents Trade Secrets

TMCopyright

#7 - Capturing & Retaining

Innovation is Hard

Trade Secrets = ValueCareful re BYOD

Image courtesy: Beverley Goodwin

NOT GET SUED

#8 – OTHERS’ WORK

#9 – SOCIAL MEDIA

#8- Copyright is

not Right to

Copy

You can copy anything

without the © symbol

IP Misconception

#9 - Careful re

Social Media &

Celebrities

Trade secrets are easy

to protect

IP Misconception

SELL OR RETIRE

#10 – CANNOT SELL WHAT YOU DO NOT OWN

BONUS TAKEAWAYS

• Who are you? • Employee of another

company?• Personal vs Company?• Outside the US?

#10- Ownership

READ contracts, licenses,

and

permission to use

IP is just for tech startups or tech companies, and patents are the

only IP for inventors.

IP Misconception

80% of a business’ value is in their IP & Intangibles.

Ignorance Is NOT A Defense

Q&A

NEXT STEPS

CHECKLIST

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