article thumbnail

How to Protect IP When Outsourcing Software Development

Up and Running

The best thing you can do is create an IP protection strategy and document it in a business plan , so you’ve integrated it into your larger business strategy. IP protection is especially important when your company’s ethos is unique and one-of-a-kind, and you want to protect against the possibility of copycats. IP assignment clause.

IP 80
article thumbnail

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. _. Contract, NDA. _. Make sure you have Employee Invention Assignment Agreements. (If For some of these assets, you get protection automatically. What is Protectable. _. Examples. _.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

To NDA or not to NDA?

Growthink Blog

The NDA question comes up more than you would think because scrappy entrepreneurs are always looking for collaborators, co-founders, and capital while jealously guarding their ideas. What is a NDA? One standard use of a NDA is protecting one company from another during discussions and negotiations. Are you hiring an employee?

NDA 124
article thumbnail

Protect Your Business Plan Like It’s Your Baby—Here’s How

Up and Running

Nearly all businesses, whether they are small or large, are comprised of intellectual property (IP) and trade secrets, which can serve as the foundation for commercial success. The World Intellectual Property Organization defines IP as, “creations of the mind,” which, depending on the business, can take many forms. Any type of design.

article thumbnail

Create your IP strategy early to avoid common pitfalls

NZ Entrepreneur

The reality faced by entrepreneurs is that legal services can be expensive and IP protection may not be an initial priority. But having an IP strategy can help you get the most from your IP and help minimize common pitfalls and legal expenses. Trade marks. It’s best to select a mark and use it consistently.

IP 61
article thumbnail

One More Time: No NDAs

dashes.com

By unusual coincidence, this week I had a number of different folks ask me to sign NDA s about the new projects theyre working on. But signing an NDA ? If I honor your NDA, and I meet a great investor or potential employee or valuable partner for your new venture, I wouldnt be able to tell them about it.

NDA 52
article thumbnail

Business Owners Need To Understand Intellectual Property Law

YoungUpstarts

Patent applications represent the hope for defensible protection, as the most a company can truthfully tell investors is that the company owns its IP. First all employees, including founders, should sign invention assignment agreements. What should my IP strategy be? Should I file a Provisional Patent Application?