Veteran Silicon Valley intellectual property attorney Dr. Steven Colby will discuss strategies for starting an IP program in the early days of a startup. This presentation is intended for founders and employees of startup companies. Attendees will receive an understanding of what they can do to bootstrap a valuable IP program while working with a limited budget! Steve will discuss: 1) Getting Started 2) Types of IP (patents, trademarks, etc.) 3) Provisional strategy 4) Spending $$$ wisely 5) What an IP program should look like 6) Budget 7) Organization 8) IP landmines 9) Infringement 10) Owning your IP 11) IP contamination and more!

1. HOW TO BOOTSTRAP
A ROCK-SOLID IP
PORTFOLIO
IDEATO IPO
Steven Colby, JD, Ph.D.
Patent Attorney – Rimon Law, PC
steven.colby@rimonlaw.com
© Steven Colby 2021
October 1, 2021

2. WHY WOULD
YOU DO THIS?
WHY WOULD A CASH LIMITED STARTUP
PUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS INTOTHE
DEVELOPMENT OF AN IP PORTFOLIO?

3. WHAT CAN I GET?
• Copyright
• Trademark
• Trade Secrets
• Patents

4. COMMON TYPES OF PATENTS
PROVISIONAL
• Placeholder
• Quick & Easy
• Inexpensive
• ONEYear
NON-PROVISIONAL
• Ornamental
• 14 years
• Moderate Cost
DESIGN
• Enforceable Rights
• 20 years
• High Cost

5. WHAT DOES THIS ALL COST?
2000
18000
30000
$0
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
$25,000
$30,000
$35,000
Provisional Non-Provisional filing Patent Issue
Patent Costs (US)
First Application Family Members

6. WILL I RULE THE
WORLD WITH
MY PATENTS?

7. THE DARK
SIDE…
WHATYOU DON’T KNOW CAN HURT

8. MISTAKES
1) Ownership
2) Ownership
3) Waiting
4) No Strategy
5) Understanding the Patent
1) Specification
2) Claims

9. OWNINGYOUR IP
• Ownership initially vests in the
INVENTORS (USA)
• Applications must be assigned to
the company
• Assign Clauses
• Employer IP
• Assignment process

10. OTHER PEOPLE’S IP
• The start-up viewpoint
• Read the literature
• Keep records
• Open source trap

11. WHEN DO I NEED TO START
THINKING ABOUT IP?
• Yesterday….

12. STRATEGY
• Patent for the Marketing Person,
Not the Engineer
• Product Driven
• Focus onValuation
• Make IP more than just a Checkbox

13. Steven Colby
steven.colby@rimonlaw.com
650-966-6006
www.linkedin.com/in/stevencolby/