Intellectual Property: Every Business Has Some

Intellectual Property (IP) is the general term for patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets – a collection of laws designed to advance arts and sciences for all of society, by protecting investments in innovation. Entrepreneurs should have an IP strategy from the very start of any new venture – because some valuable rights can be lost if not captured immediately, especially on the global scale. Despite what you might think, most aspects of IP protection are inexpensive and relatively easy. This class will be an overview of the four principal areas of intellectual property – how to “get it, keep it, and enforce it”.

Topics covered in the session include:

• Founder’s IP
• IP employment issues
• Trade Secrets and non-disclosure obligations
• Trademarks and registration
• Domain names
• Patents
• Copyrights
• Global protection
• IP maintenance
• IP enforcement

About the Presenter:

J. Christopher Lynch is a partner with Lee & Hayes, PC, the largest intellectual property law firm based in the northwest. Chris is a licensed patent attorney with over 30 years of experience assisting clients in developing intellectual property portfolios, commercializing them, and enforcing them. Chris has been an adjunct professor teaching intellectual property for many years at the law schools at Gonzaga University and the University of Idaho, as well as providing guest lectures on intellectual property at universities throughout the country.