Intellectual Property

by Intellectual Property Attorney Bill Honaker, the IP Guy

Intellectual property is more valuable than ever. Every business has Intellectual Property. but most businesses don’t recognize it, protect it, or exploit it. It’s usually an afterthought. An inventor develops something new, so management thinks about patents; a new brand is ready to launch, so management thinks about trademarks; an employee leaves and takes your new product plans, that’s when management thinks about trade secrets.

Every business needs to make Intellectual Property a top priority of business planning. The Intellectual Property portfolio is typically a 1/3 or more of the total value of the business. Intellectual property can also result in greater profits, protected market share, additional revenue streams, and favorable business reputation.

I will be your guide on this journey; to make Intellectual Property less complicated and more accessible. We will start with patent law, and frankly, how imposing patent law can appear to be. Is it really that complex? Maybe ( to a degree) which is why a good patent lawyer can be an inventor’s best partner.

A patent lawyer has to have a technical background, like an engineer, chemist, or biologist. A good patent layer will also have good business sense and help you understand how to get the greatest value from your patent protection.

But, not all journeys are equal. At age twelve, I was elected to the Order of the Arrow, a Boy Scout society. It required a journey, aptly called “The Ordeal”. Older scouts covered in war paint escorted me on a late night trek into the woods. I was left alone to sleep on the ground. It poured rain all night. The next day was spent fasting, working and not speaking.

Contrast that with a more pleasant journey: a guided tour around Rome. Our journey will be somewhere in between, closer to Rome than being alone in the deep wet woods. I will be your guide.

You are going to discover:

  • A Patent Primer
  • What is Prior Art and Why is it Important
  • How to Get the Strongest Patent Protection
  • Enforcing Your Patent Without Litigation
  • Avoiding Patent Infringement
  • Making Your Way Though the IP Forest
  • Protecting a Great Brand
  • A Copyright Time Bomb
  • Alternative Streams of IP Revenue
  • Cases of Interest as they Develop
  • Answer to Your Questions

Like any adventure, you can help define it. Tell us where you want to go. 

About the Author:

Bill Honaker, “The IP Guy” is a former USPTO Examiner, a partner with Dickinson-Wright, and author of the forthcoming book, Invisible Assets – How to Maximize the Hidden Value in Your Business. To download a sample chapter, click here.

To get answers to your questions click here to schedule a time to talk, email Bill@IPGuy.com, or give him a call at 248-318-7015.