About the Event:
Intellectual property is becoming increasingly important when it comes to business valuation as well as success – especially for tech companies. A well-developed patent portfolio (along with an intellectual property portfolio, generally) conveys a high degree of technical and commercial sophistication to potential investors, customers, competitors, and licensees. It also proves that you value investment in research and development and are prepared to take appropriate steps to protect those investments. To keep all of your patent options open (particularly, outside of the U.S.), you must file a patent application before any public disclosure or commercialization of your invention takes place. The simplest first step is oftentimes filing a provisional application, which could potentially be done yourself – assuming it’s done right!
This presentation will focus on explaining patentability, what should be put into a provisional application, and what other information is needed to better ensure you properly protect your IP.
About the Presenter:
Justin Sanders is an intellectual property attorney and managing partner at Master Key IP. For the past 15+ years, Justin has assisted clients (primarily startups and small businesses) with all aspects of identifying, protecting and monetizing their intellectual property in both the U.S. and abroad – all at reasonable flat fee rates that are tailored to startup budgets. Justin graduated from California State University, Long Beach, earning a B.S. in Computer Science with a minor in Human Resources Management. He went on to attend Whittier Law School, as a Fellow in the Center for Intellectual Property Law, where he received his J.D. with magna cum laude honors along with a Certificate in Intellectual Property Law. In addition to servicing clients through Master Key IP, Justin is actively involved with a number of local universities and startup organizations, where he serves as a resource and mentor to resident entrepreneurs, providing guidance on various intellectual property issues.