ReCiPe for Success

Failure is having your creativity stolen. You invest time, energy and resources creating something of value, creating intangible assets. You should protect what you created. Intellectual Property (IP) has never been more valuable. But, the risk of loss has also never been higher.

Do you want the best system for getting the most value from your creations?

Do you want a system that is automatic, takes very little time to implement, and ENSURES that your Intellectual Property is protected and you are protected from infringement litigation?

Do you want a ReCiPe for success?

The creations of your mind are valuable. This value is recognized by the Intellectual Property laws.

• Patents protect your inventions.
• Trademarks protect the identity of your goods and services.
• Copyrights protect your creativity.
• Trade secrets protect your confidential information.

But, you have to act. It is your responsibility to know that you have IP and that it is entitled to legal protection. What you need is a process for Recognizing, Collecting and Protecting it. That is the ReCiPe for success.

Anyone associated with creativity or innovation must have a general understanding of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. You have to be aware of the many traps. Traps that will destroy the value of your IP.

A company had its website copied by a competitor. But, they didn’t file copyright registrations. If they had, they would have been entitled to statutory damages of $750 to $30,000 and up to $150,000.00 for willful infringement.

A company picked its business name. Nine years later, they were sued for trademark infringement by an international company, which had a similar name. They were between a rock and a hard place. Fight the lawsuit at great expense, or change their name at great expense. A quick search when picking the name would have avoided this dilemma.

A company called with a great new invention. They had huge sales. Others were starting to copy. They wanted to patent the invention, but they were too late. In the United States you have to file for patent protection within one year of offering the invention for sale.  They lost tremendous value because they didn’t file in time.

A company hired a photographer to photograph employees for its annual report. The company was happy to pay the $75,000.00 for the photos. They decided to use the photos on their website. They were sued by the photographer for copyright infringement. The photographer had the right to control the display of his photos. He owned the copyright.

A company was getting a $5million cash infusion that they desperately needed. The investor reviewed their “IP holdings.” They were not handled properly overtime and were a mess. The investor walked away.

As a business leader you have to recognize the traps, know where to locate the value, and have a system that automatically guides you.

Turn Your Ideas Into Gold

The Engineer’s Guide to Intellectual Property

Having your ideas stolen is a bad thing; being sued is even worse.  Intellectual Property can account for 1/3 or more of your company’s value. Cash in on assets you may not even recognize, and avoid costly litigation.

In this fast-moving program, you will learn:

• The 5 Pillars of IP Value
• How to protect your ideas, innovations, and brand from theft
• How to avoid being sued, or worse yet, put out of business
• How to create an inventory of your most valuable IP assets
• A simple system to recognize, prioritize and maximize business value

For more than 30 years, Bill Honaker has been helping businesses, ranging from Fortune 100 firms to individual entrepreneurs, to protect their patents, trademarks, and copyrights. A former Examiner at the Patent and Trademark Office , he is a partner with Dickinson Wright, PLLC.  He’s especially good at keeping clients out of court.

The program includes a workbook related to the topics and my book, The Business Owners Guide to IPwhich complements the material in the program and is a great resource for members.

This is an in-depth training workshop tailored your audience. Bill will meet with representatives of your group to discuss your specific needs, research your company and its intellectual property, and recent cases that affect your industry.

He will help you appreciate your most valuable IP, and identify any IP that has not been protected. He will develop and train your group on a customized ReCiPe for Success that you can implement that same day. He will also follow up with your team after 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year to fine-tune the implementation of your ReCiPe for Success.