Author Archives: mwillee

Every small business should have a basic understanding of the laws that apply to protecting intellectual property. It is the only way a company will be able to protect their unique creations and ideas from competitors. There are four major ways a small business can obtain legal protection for intellectual property (IP).

Previously in our Intellectual Property (IP) Best Practices series, we introduced step nine to maximizing your IP: don’t infringe. Check back next Monday for a bonus tip, the last of this series. Don’t miss it! Finally, what all this blog series has been leading up to: Be prepared. Using a good strategy to protect intellectualContinue reading “IP Best Practices: Being Prepared and Organized Is Important, Step 10”

In the world of sports, it’s not terribly uncommon for teams to have the same nickname. A quick search of college and professional team names turns up 28 Lions, 39 Tigers, and 26 Bears, to say nothing of derivations thereof, like Bengals or Grizzlies. Teams that don’t adhere to those conventions can end up withContinue reading “Trademarks and Blue Jays v. Bluejays.”

Previously on our Taking the Scary Out of Startup series, we discussed why competition is a good thing. Funding is Hard Bootstrap, self-funding, debt, strategic partners, or angel capital–it’s all challenging. It’s a topic that is very near and dear to my heart as we had some very fun times last year with some angel groupContinue reading “Taking the Scary Out of Startup: Why Startups Succeed, Part 17”

If you’re just now opening doors in your new business or company, you might be asking an important question: “Do I have intellectual property (IP) that needs protecting?” Those who aren’t asking that question are facing considerable risk; your IP helps you and the economy when you can protect the items you either create orContinue reading “Do I Have Intellectual Property? What’s Missing & Should Be Protected”

As a new Traker, I expected that in time I would be going to conferences and presenting what ID your IP and IP Vault are to people new to Traklight, but I didn’t expect for it to be so soon. Nonetheless, duty called for me to be present. Knowing that I usually psych myself outContinue reading “AZ Innovativation Summit 2014 Recap and My Experience”

Previously in our Intellectual Property (IP) Best Practices series, we introduced step eight to maximizing your IP: regular IP audits. Please check back every Monday for the next part in this series. As important as protecting intellectual property (IP) is, it is just as important not to infringe upon someone else’s IP. Not only is it morally wrongContinue reading “IP Best Practices: Don’t Infringe on IP Rights of Others, Step 9”

The mobile app Angry Birds ranks as one of the most popular portable games of all time. Created by the Finnish game developers, Rovio Entertainment, it has been downloaded hundreds of millions of times and has inspired multiple iterations (including Star Wars and Transformers versions). For many, it’s a great way to pass the timeContinue reading “Artist Sues Pet Toy Company Over Angry Birds Trademark”

Previously on our Taking the Scary Out of Startup series, we discussed becoming an expert and paying it forward. Competition is a Good Thing When you do not have competition, you basically have no choice but to evangelize like a madwoman to get your company’s name and products out there. 

The word “bootcamp” doesn’t exactly conjure positive thoughts in the minds of most people. It’s associated with long days filled with exhausting exercises, followed by sleepless nights preparing for the next day. As pointless as it may seem while you’re going through it (and trust me, it does seem pointless), the ultimate point of bootcampContinue reading “Learn How to Crowdfund (and More) at the 3rd Annual GCCB”