Two weeks ago, the Traklight on Forbes series shared an interview with Unified Patents and what they’re doing to stop Non-Practicing Entities from hurting your business. Check back every Thursday for more Forbes content. Thanks for reading!

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We’ve all had a time or two, some more than others, when we’ve thought of an amazing idea but just didn’t have the time, money, <fill in the blank for yourself> to bring it to fruition. Enter: The Nontrepreneurâ„¢ solution, an idea conceived by WayFounder, a company who provides a way for those ideas to become a reality.

Continue reading “Forbes Update: Tips for Nontrepreneursâ„¢”

Our nation’s universities are on the forefront of research and innovation. Brimming with clever, inquisitive minds and endowed with support from generous alumni, college researchers and academics are able to make advances in science, medicine, and even the paranormal. Personally, I don’t recall my own college years being filled with an abundance of good ideas, but the results speak for themselves. And one university is taking legal action to ensure their innovations aren’t infringed upon.

Continue reading “Your Wireless Carrier is Indebted to a U of M Professor’s Innovation”

“Maturing,” “emerging,” and “vibrant” are the commonly used words used to describe the Los Angeles (LA) tech ecosystem. Every night is full of multiple events across the city where LA’s tech community comes together to share about the entrepreneurial journey and offer their experiences to one another. 

The two events in the last few weeks stand out the most.

Continue reading “We Are LA Tech at General Assembly”

Architectural design is protected by copyright law. But we have mentioned before that taking photographs of public buildings are completely legal (as long as you are taking photographs in a public space it’s all fair game). No one will come slap you with copyright infringement if you publish a photograph of yourself in front of the Statue of Liberty. But you might be in trouble if you take a photograph of another classic French structure at night, the Eiffel Tower.

Continue reading “Beware of Copyright Infringement when Photographing the Eiffel Tower”

This is a guest blog by Bao Tran, Patent Attorney with Tran & Associates and Founder of PowerPatent which produces the ProvisionalBuilder® patent workflow software.

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The change from First to Invent to First Inventor to File under the America Invents Act (AIA) has significant implications for inventors who are not prepared. Under the new regime, priority is given to the first inventor to file a patent application. Those unprepared to move quickly will be placed at a significant disadvantage.

Continue reading “How to Protect Your Invention without Breaking the Piggy Bank”

Two weeks ago, the Traklight on Forbes series shared an interview with WayFounder’s founder and how their contest is a great opportunity for Nontrepreneursâ„¢. Check back every Thursday for more Forbes content. Thanks for reading!

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In this interview, Mary Juetten features a niche-but-not-too-niche disruptive legal tech company called Valcu Inc. They handle startup incorporation at affordable prices with exactly what venture capitalists often want or require from businesses.

Continue reading “Forbes Update: Disrupting the Legal Industry”

We take a lot of things for granted when it comes to technology. We don’t bat an eye at our ability to press a couple buttons on our computer and print a document, or that we can touch an icon on our phone and open applications that provide us directions, news, or pictures of what people had for dinner. For that connectedness and interactivity, we have application programming interfaces to thank. Simply put, they enable different applications to communicate with one another, creating a digital ecosystem where your iPhone works with your Twitter account, which links to your Facebook account, and both are linked to your Instagram…you get the idea. But a court ruling this year has thrown the future of open source platforms into tumult.

Continue reading “Software Copyright Infringement | Oracle Vs. Google”

This guest blog was written by patent attorney David Stein of Cooper Legal Group, a firm that specializes in providing a range of intellectual property services to clients in high-tech industries. David resides in Fairfax, VA, and frequently visits the patent office to conduct examiner interviews in furtherance of patent prosecution. David’s practice focuses on patent procurement for computing technologies, including software and electrical and computer engineering.

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When individuals and companies develop valuable ideas, their first question is: “Can I patent this?”

Patents generally involve concepts that are functional and useful. Artistic works, such as books, music, and videos, are typically not patentable (but are likely protected by copyright); and other types of information, such as proprietary data, can be protected by trade secrets.

Continue reading “What Types of Inventions Are Patentable?”

Intellectual property (IP) affects small businesses in every industry. But especially in developing, emerging industries, outdated laws can turn into significant problems for individual businesses. The 3D printing industry offers an excellent case study in how industry and lawmakers work together to update IP law. 

Recently, Mediabistro held a conference in our nation’s capital that addressed intellectual property rights in the industry. At the 3D Printing Politics Conference in Washington, D.C., lawmakers and industry leaders discussed the impact that IP issues can have on the future of 3D printing.

Continue reading “Intellectual Property Rights: The 3D Printing Industry”

By now, you’ve certainly heard the terms ‘intellectual property’ and ‘IP’ bandied about. We live in a time of creative wonder, where anyone with a great idea and access to technology has the potential to disrupt the market. In such a world intellectual property carries more weight than its tangible counterparts. But does everyone understand how the concept and terms originated? Do you? There is a long and fascinating history behind the copyrighting of human creations. Here are a few things you might not already know about IP law.

Continue reading “A Brief History of Early IP Law”