Intellectual Property for Business Owners

 Navigating the world of intellectual property is complex and fraught with traps for the unwary. In this introduction to Intellectual Property (IP) you'll learn about the four categories of IP and dig a little deeper into patents and technology. If your small business has a novel product, this FREE workshop is for you!

This workshop will include an overview of:

1. Four categories of IP: patents, copyrights, trademarks/trade dress and trade secrets.
2. Do you actually own the IP you developed and how can you make sure that you do?
3. What does it mean for your business to own a patent?
4. What are “patent trolls” and what is their business model?
5. Steps can you take to protect yourself from a patent perspective when planning to sell a novel product.
6. How to commercialize your technology.

Our presenter is a partner and litigator at Cantor Colburn, one of the largest IP law firms in the country, headquartered in Hartford. Cantor Colburn provides comprehensive IP legal services to clients worldwide and in virtually every technology.  Clients’ industries include: software, biotechnology, automotive and aerospace, consumer products, energy, manufacturing, entertainment, apparel and more. For more information, visit www.cantorcolburn.com.   

Presenter:

Charlie O'Brien, Cantor Colburn

Charlie O'Brien is the Chair of Cantor Colburn’s Intellectual Property Transactional Group. He concentrates his transactional practice on the exploitation, transfer, and licensing of technology. Charlie has extensive experience in all aspects of complex intellectual property (IP) licensing, including the preparation and negotiation of patent license agreements, software license agreements, joint development agreements, trademark license agreements, material transfer agreements, joint marketing and promotion agreements, and the like. Charlie is also a member of Cantor Colburn’s Litigation Department and has extensive experience in litigating IP-related actions, including patent infringement actions and contractual disputes regarding IP rights. These skills provide him with useful and often critical insight for his clients into issues and conflicts that can arise in IP transactional matters. This allows him to address these potential issues and conflicts early on at the transactional stage. Charlie is a frequent speaker at groups that are new to IP and IP valuation, as well as to industry and legal trade associations. Charlie has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University and a J.D. from the Western New England University School of Law.  He is admitted in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and several appeals and district courts, and to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.