There are many important questions to consider when starting a business, particularly one based on intellectual property.  We have prepared a checklist to help you through this process.  Please click here to request a full version of the checklist.

The check list covers: 

General Corporate Matters

• Have you established a corporation, limited liability company (LLC) or other ... more >
• Do you have non-disclosure agreements  ... more >
• Do you have employment ... more >
• Do you have assignment agreements ... more >
• Do you have non-disclosure agreements ... more >
• Do you have liability insurance? ... more >
• Do you have a non-compete ... more >
• Will you own intellectual property, such as patents... more >
• Have you secured a domain ... more >

Patents

• Do you have a product or service ... more >
• Has a patentability search been ... more >
• Has a patentability opinion been received ... more >
• Has an infringement investigation been ... more >
• Have you filed a provisional patent ... more >
• Has a non-provisional patent ... more >
• Have you considered whether accelerated patent examination is appropriate ... more >
• Have you considered whether accelerated patent rights protection is ... more >
• Have you preserved your rights to file foreign... more >
• Have you filed any foreign patent ... more >
• Have you received an assignment from any inventor ... more >
• Have you recorded ... more >
• Do you require employees and contractors to ... more >
• Have you implemented an invention submission ... more >
• Have you considered an inventor award ... more >
• Do your advertising and promotional materials indicate that products are patented ... more >
• Do you have a mechanism in place to consider whether any patent is being ... more >
• Have you considered monetizing any unused ... more >

 Trademarks and Service Marks

• Have you had a registrability search conducted ... more >
• Has a right to use search ... more >
• Have you obtained an opinion ... more >
• Have you filed an application to register ... more >
• Do your advertising and promotional materials use the notices ® and/or ™ ... more >
• Have you considered the need to file for foreign ... more >
• Have you implemented a watch system for competitor ... more >
• Do you use your trademarks and service marks as source ... more >
• Have you implemented guidelines regarding how your trademarks ... more >
• Have you licensed any trademark or ... more >
• Are license agreements in ... more >
• Does any license agreement have a quality control ... more >

 Copyrights

• Have you created any work that is protected by copyright? ... more >
• Have you applied to register  ... more >
• Do you have agreements that require authors to assign ... more >
• Do you own the copyrights to works that you use in ... more >
• Do you use the copyright notice ©?
• Do you update your registered ... more >
• Do you have written license agreements for the ... more >
• Have you licensed any ... more >
• What rights does the licensee ... more >
• Do you have a web site ... more >
• Do you own the copyright in the source code ... more >
• Do you have a copy of the source code ... more >
• Does your web site have adequate terms and conditions ... more >
• Do you have a privacy policy for information collected ... more >

 Trade Secrets

• Do you have or create proprietary or confidential information? ... more >
• Do you have a written policy protecting proprietary ... more >
• Have you implemented controls to protect your proprietary ... more >
• Do you have non-disclosure agreements with ... more >
• Do you have non-compete agreements with ... more >
• Do you have agreements requiring employees and contractors to inform ... more >
• Do you have agreements that prohibit employees and contractors from disclosing and using p... more >
• Do you inform departing employees of their obligation ... more >