What you'll learn
- Identify the types of Intellectual Property available to the Firm such as patents, trade secrets, know-how, copy rights, trade marks etc and when and how to use them effectively.
- Use the various types of agreements for protecting the Firm’s Intellectual Property such as Confidentiality Agreements (CDAs), Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), joint development agreements (JDAs), etc
- Use patents as the cornerstone of the Intellectual Property strategy
- Use proven Intellectual Property management processes and the roles played by various parts of the Firm (e.g., sales, marketing, R&D, manufacturing etc.)
- Identify the tactics for beating the competition using the Firm’s Intellectual Property strategies with mini-case study examples.
- Understand the value of “Intellectual Property Masters” externally sourced or found within the Firm.
Requirements
- No prior intellectual property experience is required.
- Do you already have an idea for a great product or service? That is a plus, but it is not required prior to enrolling in the course.
Description
Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy: Creating Competitive Advantage, is a 3.5-hour course that educates Founders/Entrepreneurs on a proven, practical framework for identifying and protecting Intellectual Property
While IP is critically important to Innovators and Founders working to transform into Entrepreneurs it is often not high on the Founder/Innovator agenda and can be lost in the chaos of other activities. Founders/Innovators are struggling with multiple tasks from securing customers, managing demanding lead users, generating revenue and eventually profit, satisfying investors while raising new funds, recruiting, hiring and retaining key employees, and so forth. The one critical success factor often de-emphasized in this chaotic mix is IP.
Key benefits include:
1. Significant increase in valuation of business by protecting IP and creating exit opportunities.
2. Decrease in the risk to Entrepreneur/Investor investment.
Once you have completed this course you can have an informed discussion with your team and IP professionals (lawyers, tech transfer office). VentureForge will shortly be releasing a follow-on course called "The Intellectual Property Toolkit" that outlines a framework to use in creation of a practical IP strategy.
Disclaimer - Legal Information Is Not Legal Advice
This course provides information related to the law and lawyers designed to help students learn about intellectual property strategy and their potential legal needs. This course does not provide legal advice and VentureForge, LLC is not a law firm. We are not lawyers and do not provide legal advice. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you find and consult an appropriate lawyer for your intellectual property legal needs.
Who this course is for:
- Anyone part of a startup
- Any innovator thinking about creating a startup
- Entrepreneur
- Intellectual property manager in corporation
Instructor
I'm an innovator, author, and entrepreneur. I am Founder and Managing Director of the early stage accelerator VentureForge, LLC, and a consulting practice focused on mentoring CEOs and Founding Teams of technology based start-ups. I help them demystify the "fuzzy front end" of their businesses with an emphasis on converting their innovations into profitable enterprises.
I have deep expertise in specialty chemical technologies and was VP, RD&E for Lubrizol and Chief Science Officer for Diversey (Johnson Wax). I also also taught people how to become entrepreneurs via a course, most recently at Benedictine University, where I was an adjunct professor teaching "Applied Innovation: A Path to Entrepreneurship". I've demonstrated that innovation is a discipline that can be learned and mastered.