As we start 2015, this the final of three posts (read Part 2 here) on the worst mistakes I have seen made in 2014. Of course there is the usual tie to intellectual property (IP) and money or valuation of the venture.
Misunderstanding and waiting on patents
Does this sound familiar: “Get that minimum viable product out there in the hands of customers! Hurry up and finish that prototype! Get that crowdfunding campaign up!” Speed to market is often heralded as paramount. However, showing too much about how your product works in a public way can drastically impact your ability to patent. In turn, it could become an IP mistake you wish you wouldn’t have made.
Well, what do you think?! After much hard work and lots of Traker teamwork, we did it! We’ve been talking about this website update for a while: streamlining our message for customers, clarifying how our products can help, and for the girly-ness in me, just making it pretty (you know, with one of those infinitely-scrolling, pictures-out-to-the-edges-of-the-screen type websites). With the remodel came the chance to re-brand; the chance to spruce up our logo, and move to a brighter, more modern orange, gray, and blue theme.
For many young people, video games were a huge part of their formative years, and continue to be a hobby in their adult lives. While the more curmudgeonly can debate the merits of kids spending hours on video games, it’s hard to deny how much fun they can be. What started for most of us as a reddish blob purported to be a plumber has now developed into ever more lifelike games with entire communities surrounding them. Video games are now a huge industry, with studios spending millions developing some of the largest titles. Given the investment, one company’s trademark snafu could force them to restart at the last checkpoint.
Intellectual property (IP) theft is a rampant issue that affects all 
How is intellectual property defined? Intellectual property (IP) pertains to things you create with your mind, not the ideas themselves, but the expression of the ideas in some form. An idea all by itself in your head, is not IP.
For the average internet user, the seemingly endless content found on the web is quite easily taken for granted. Most give no thought as to where the images, videos, or words that turn up in a simple search come from. But whether it’s considered or not, all of this material has an owner somewhere. Fewer still are the number of internet denizens who would 
It’s a common belief that small businesses are the main driver of the US economy. This is because their ability to create new jobs is greater than that of middle and large-sized companies. So what is really keeping them from protecting their intellectual property? While the federal government has implemented a number of measures to assist aspiring entrepreneurs to start their own business, it hasn’t really done much to educate them on the importance of intellectual property (IP) protection or the value of intangible assets. Below are a few IP-related challenges that US small businesses face today.
How to safeguard your ideas or inventions is an important concern for many first time inventors or entrepreneurs. A small business, especially one that is looking to grow, has a lot to consider as they move through the winding roads of business success. Often times, small business owners are concerned about whether or not their innovation or IP can be lost.
For any athlete looking to achieve global stardom, Michael Jordan stands as the gold standard. In addition to his legacy as the greatest basketball player of all time, he remains a global brand years after his retirement from the game. During his playing career, he starred in television and print ads for countless products, and is widely credited with helping make Nike the world leader in athletic apparel that it is today. And while he has mostly stepped away from his role as a global pitchman to focus his energies on owning the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, the popularity of Nike’s Jordan products demonstrates the lasting appeal of his brand. But one recent lawsuit is claiming that his world-famous logo was in fact stolen.
The wide world of intellectual property (IP) can seem a little convoluted and hard to navigate. You hear from one source it’s not a big deal and you can wait on it (we do not agree!), and then from another that it’s one of the most important things to factor in as you start your business. We are going to tear apart 10 common IP myths so you’ll never again have to question which way is up for IP and intangibles.