Every great entrepreneur knows success is not easy and every business will encounter risks and challenges.
One of those challenges involves the vulnerability of your intellectual property. To prepare yourself it’s best to know: 

• What are the intellectual property issues that often come up in your industry, and
• What intellectual property issues may be specific to your innovation?

 Start by learning from history. Much of the information you’re looking for can be found in past patent filings:

• Hone in on what others have done. Are there similar products that have evolved?
• Could today’s market factors change what was done in the past?
• What has and hasn’t worked? Why is that?

Some patent history is thick with legal language. It’s not the easiest of reading. However, it’s definitely worth the effort because by studying what has come before, you will:

• Be able to pinpoint how and if your idea is unique.
• Understand whether your intellectual property filing will meet the necessary standards of being credibly different.
• Carve out a path forward or realize the need to adjust.
• Speak credibly with investors and others about the uniqueness and viability of your idea. The credibility comes from your familiarity with the history of what has come before, what has failed, and why your idea will solve prior issues.

There are numerous resources to study to get the total picture. Among them are searches of:

• Utility patents
• Provisional patent applications 
• Design patents
• Copyrights
• Trademarks 
• Trade secrets

My role as a trademark and patent attorney is to provide the legal perspective for your business. I can conduct searches and advise on what I find, and also file on your behalf. I can enhance and elevate any work that you’ve done, which will help you refine and succeed with your business plan.