We had a terrific event in Atlanta on January 25th, not least for the fact that I was able to attend. For those legal tech fans who haven’t had the chance to come to one of our events, I would highly recommend it; it’s a great opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals and hear from legal tech innovators and thought leaders. For this event, the format was slightly different; instead of a panel, we had our three speakers presenting individually on their own thought-provoking topics.
Form an IP Strategy
The best way to make sure that you are handling the tasks you need to is to come up with a plan or strategy. Relying on your memory or some hastily scribbled notes that might not make sense the next day isn’t the best way to methodically run a business or any enterprise. And given the amount of things you have to do, a haphazard approach to your work is bound to lead to things being forgotten.
Small business funding options: Angel investing, equity fundraising, crowdfunding & startup loans
Growing your business is difficult, particularly when you need money to fund your plans. Many entrepreneurs use personal savings or the revenue from the company to “bootstrap†their way to success. But sometimes that’s not possible because either you lack the personal wealth or the company needs too much upfront investment prior to revenue generation. Traditional fundraising from professional investors can be daunting both in terms of time and money. However, over the past few years, some additional small business funding avenues have become available.
Know the Rules for Fair Use
You never want to infringe on trademarks. In addition to being a legal violation, it seems doubtful that any business would want to be viewed as unoriginal. So what happens if your business creates something that is slightly similar to an item that has already been trademarked? Fair use applies to trademarks as much as it does to copyrights. But you still have to be very careful or you could end up dealing with complicated legal issues.
Culture and Intellectual Property
In much of our writing over the years, we have noted the intersection of intellectual property laws and rights with the culture we consume and the things we buy. Looking at history, many of our commercial institutions grew to their current stature through their ability to rightly or wrongly dominate their respective marketplace, and much of that is seen in the brands and intellectual property that they have built over the years. There are ideas and products behind those companies that have venerated them long after their one-time competitors have faded into history.
Tech Savvy In-House Counsel
We were back in Los Angeles on February 22nd for another great legal tech event, hosted by Dentons. We had a great panel who had a lot of interesting ideas about the future of technology in law, and how tech is changing the role of the in-house counsel. Technology is an inexorable part of everyday life, and as such attorneys need to be familiar with it in order to not only address the emerging legal issues that can arise from technology, but also to protect their clients’ information. But there is that familiar tension between lawyers and technology as attorneys worry about machines one day replacing them. The role of attorneys continues to change and adapt as in-house counsel and in-house legal departments become more and more prevalent at big corporations. The interaction between business and legal serves as a positive to the case for the continued existence of the human lawyer, as human relationships and judgment can’t be replicated or replaced by machines.
The Go-To Guide for Pitching Angel Investors
This is a guest post from Jeremy Liddle of Capital Pitch
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What Business Assets You Need to Protect
If you’re just now opening doors to your new business, you probably have a flurry of important questions running through your head about customers and rent and upkeep and all the day-to-day things that will determine your long-term success. But one important question you might not be considering is, “Do I have intellectual property (IP) that needs protecting?” Your IP helps you and the economy when you can protect the items you either create or use to help produce commerce for your company. You’re also assuring your financial future by seeking out IP you can protect on a national and international level so no one else can profit from them.
The Evolution of Arizona Funding
Last month, I moderated a panel at the third annual Phoenix Startup Week. The event has exploded since 2015 and the session on raising capital was packed. I wrote on the challenges with fundraising in Arizona here based on my own 2013 experience. What a difference three years has made! Arizona founders are now benefiting from an evolved and mature funding ecosystem.
Evolve Law Summit: Venture Capital and Angel Investment
The first panel at our recent Evolve Law Summit brought together an expert panel on the topics of venture capital and angel investment. The panel was able to offer their own insights on what they look for in legal tech companies when they are looking to invest.
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