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Dear Founders: Here Are Three IP Mistakes to Watch-Out For

Scott Edward Walker

Over the past six months, my firm has been engaged by a number of startups with significant intellectual property (“IP”) problems. In a couple of cases, the founders played lawyer on their own; in the other cases, the founders either used (i) a Web service that did not address IP issues or (ii) an inexperienced law firm.

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Why Entrepreneurs Must Learn to Love Paperwork  

The Startup Magazine

Whenever you get into any kind of legal dispute, whether it’s an intellectual property claim, a tax audit, or a lawsuit from a disgruntled customer or former employee, the best tool in your arsenal is written records. Remember that as the founder, the things you value trickle down to the other officers, managers, and employees of the company.

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Startups and IP Ownership Issues

Scott Edward Walker

For many startups, intellectual property (IP) is their most valuable asset. Below are the three most common IP-related mistakes that startups make — the first of which I discuss in this brief video with Jason Calacanis. Mistake #2 – Not Assigning to the Company Any IP Created Pre-Incorporation. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqL3Xm5iUCY

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Someone Stole My Startup Idea – Part 3: The Best Defense is a Good IP Strategy

Steve Blank

Early on in my career I took a “we’re moving too fast to deal with lawyers” attitude to patents and Intellectual Property (IP.) Type of IP. _. Under California law, employers may own inventions that are “related to employer’s reasonably anticipated R&D.” Make sure you have Employee Invention Assignment Agreements. (If

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How to Work with Lawyers at a Startup

Both Sides of the Table

Shame about not getting it in legal writing that you owned the original IP. Founded it as a California LLC but your potential VC wants a Delaware C-Corp? Forget to get around to setting up that Employee Stock Option Plan and want to be able to give the early guys their options at a low strike price?

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Most Common Early Start-up Mistakes

Both Sides of the Table

To the best of my knowledge US law allows you to work on your own resources and in your own hours and let you personally own your IP. I don’t know 100% that this is true in all 50 states (if any lawyers read this please put notes in comments section) but I’m pretty darn sure that this is statuary law in California.

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Six Nudges: Creating A Sense Of Urgency For Higher Conversion Rates!

Occam's Razor

Delivery times based on geo/IP/mobile phone location. Our average delivery times to California are 50% faster than Amazon. Your employees stand up at 11:00 AM each day and sing the company song. Delivery times based on geo/IP/mobile phone location. 80 people in California have booked this destination in the last 30 days.