Author Archives: mwillee

I recently attended WebSummit’s US franchise Collision in New Orleans. Note to self: bring along gluten-free snacks for next trip to NOLA! In all seriousness, it was a very slick conference – excellent use of space to pack in 630 startups! 

We end our lessons learned series (co-authored by me and Mike Willee) with our favorite topic, intellectual property (IP). Many entrepreneurs fail to recognize the importance of IP—let alone the value of an IP protection plan in the earliest stages of their businesses. Building a brand, creating a minimum viable product, generating sales leads, andContinue reading “Forbes Update – Startups are Personal, Part VIII: Protect Your Intellectual Property From the Start”

For years I have been a big fan of the clever writing on The Big Bang Theory. We tease various family members about sharing Sheldon’s outlandish tendencies or making the same faces as Penny. However, a recent episode had me laughing for a different reason: patent mistakes!

Earlier this year, I attended Davis Wright Tremaine’s (DWT) Digital Download event. Hosted by Digital Counsel, the continuing education event examined themes in law, technology, and the impact of both on companies and clients. I was looking forward to the social media and wearables sessions, but my interest was piqued during the opening remarks byContinue reading “Law Technology Today Update: If The Shoe Fits, Get One in Every Color”

At Traklight, we often preach the importance of contracts and agreements. It’s an admirable quality to have faith in others, and there are many times that faith is rewarded. But the fact remains that while it’s nice to hope for the best, it’s prudent to plan for the worst. That even applies when it comesContinue reading “Co-founders Argue Over Acquisition Payout”

Whenever I hear something repeated, questioned, or discussed by three independent sources, I consider it a sign that I should pay attention, and in today’s case, my personal “rule of three” inspired me to write this article. There are some amazing, exciting things happening in Arizona’s tech ecosystem, but we have to step back andContinue reading “Phoenix Business Journal Update: Valley Tech Companies Need Less Networking, More Action”

In this installment of our lessons learned series (co-authored by me and Traklight’s Mike Willee), we move from funding challenges to getting your product or service to market. You start a business with the aim of creating a product or service to offer to consumers or businesses. You spend time and resources developing this productContinue reading “FORBES Update: Build It and They May Not Come”

Social media is a great way to connect to a large audience. It allows for individuals and companies to share content with people all over the world. But the inherent danger that comes with such a large audience is the increased number of people who might misappropriate your creations. The relative anonymity that you can findContinue reading “Facebook Introduces Rights Manager to Combat Infringement”

My research into the more than 50 year history of the legal plan was assisted by a comprehensive 2014 law journal article by Jeremy Tomes, titled “The Emergence of Group and Prepaid Legal Services: Embracing a New Reality.” Tomes’ paper outlines the “tortured history” of the legal plans that started in the early 1960s as aContinue reading “Law Technology Today Update – Group Legal Services Association’s Annual Educational Conference”

In the modern marketplace, consumers like to be able to have an idea of what they’re purchasing. From free samples at the grocery store to free 30-day trials for software and apps, the though is that being able to try something before you have to put down hard-earned money will make consumers more willing to try somethingContinue reading “Supreme Court Rejects Fair Use Challenge Against Google Books”