The other day I surfed a car company’s website. Then I bought a car from that company. Nice and neat. I’m happy. They’re happy. Ever since then, however, everywhere I go on the web, I am getting served up ads from that very company for that very car. The one I already bought. Whataminute. What?…
All “A Board” — The Difference between Directors and Advisors
If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve probably been told that your company needs a good board. You may have overheard other entrepreneurs speak — perhaps boastfully, perhaps resentfully — about their powerful or active (or activist) boards. But what kind of thing is this board of which everyone speaks? It is probably one of two things:…
Embaggen the cat, or let it out? (to NDA or not to NDA)
When first conceiving of a new startup idea, lots of entrepreneurs experience a measure of paranoia about it and start demanding that everyone with whom they discuss it sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA). My opinion is: Don’t use an NDA until you must in order to protect highly sensitive, non-public information. NDA’s protect actual secrets,…
The Company You Keep
With few exceptions, all business should be conducted from within a company that is properly formed and organized as a corporation, a limited liability company (LLC), a limited partnership (LP) or the like. Why? Four basic reasons: a. Asset Protection. Deservedly or not, almost all businesses get sued. Forming a company around the business can…
Bi-polar IP Strategy for Startups: Protect What You Can, then Tell Everyone
If you’re starting a company, you may wish to begin in stealth mode, keeping your business idea and plans secret for a little while. During this stealth phase, consider doing the following to protect your intellectual property: Think of a name for the company. Do a trademark search before you form a company. If it’s…
Copyright Duration: How Disney Moved the Finish Line
This post is excerpted from Ownability – How Intellectual Property Works, now available for pre-order at a 20% discount at myownability.com. In 2002, Steam Boat Willy, the first major film in which the venerable Mickey Mouse character appears, was about to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its release. Under the copyright law in force at…
The Light Within
The word “namaste” roughly translates to “the light within me honors the light within you.” Beautiful, right? A really awesome way to view the world and everyone in it. But what is this light within? Can we find it? Can we become the light within? There are voices in your head, incessantly chattering at you…
Hey thanks
The happiest people on earth have remarkably few things in common. One of them, however, is gratitude. If you want to be happier, try being more thankful. Your life is an amazing miracle, which, truth be told, you did absolutely nothing to deserve. It’s a gift, a daily birthday present, a sumptuous banquet set before…
You Don’t Need Anyone’s Permission
If you are considering entrepreneurship, nobody is going to come along and suggest to you that it might be a good idea. Certainly, nobody is going to give you permission. If you are married, your spouse is unlikely to say, “Hey, I know what you should do today. You should quit your full time job,…
Intellectual Property is the Ownability of your Own Ability
Excerpt from chapter 1 of Ownability – How Intellectual Property Works now available for pre-order at a 20% discount. Intellectual property is everywhere. You can hardly exist in the modern world, let alone on the internet, without accessing or using someone’s intellectual property. The rules of intellectual property help you turn ideas into money, which,…
