The document summarizes a presentation by Arshia Tabrizi on intellectual property (IP) for entrepreneurs. Tabrizi has experience as an engineer, lawyer, and founder of a startup law firm. He discusses why IP is important for startups to protect their inventions, brands, and business strategies. Patents, trademarks, and trade secrets are described as both swords to attack competitors and shields to defend the company. Tabrizi urges entrepreneurs to prioritize collecting and protecting their IP assets.

2. MaRS
Discovery
District
Entrepreneurship
101
Wednesday
January
18,
2012
ARSHIA
TABRIZI
B.A.Sc.
Computer
Engineering
(Hon)
(UofT)
Juris
Doctor
(Law)
(UofT)
Member
of
Ontario
&
California
Bars
www.tabrizilaw.com
arshia@tabrizilaw.com
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

3. ¡ 1990-­‐1995
–
UofT
software/hardware
engineering,
IBM
¡ 1995-­‐1998
–
joined
the
“dark
side”
–
UofT
law
school
¡ 1998
–
back
to
“the
force”
–
thesis
on
“University
Spin-­‐offs”
¡ 1999-­‐2001
–
Wilson
Sonsini
Goodrich
&
Rosati
PC
(Palo
Alto,
Silicon
Valley)
–
incorporated
Google,
IPO’d
Apple,
800+
lawyers
¡ 2002
–
Tabrizi
Law
Office
-­‐
full-­‐service/exclusive
start-­‐up
practice
§ Incorporation,
Financing,
IP,
Trademark,
Patents,
Licensing,
Web
§ Strategic
Partner
with
Clients
–
equity,
relationships,
3-­‐4/year
¡ Client
list
§ NeXJ
Systems
(founded
by
William
Tatham,
previously
founder
of
Janna
Systems,
acquired
by
Siebel
for
$1.7
b.)
§ RedFlagDeals.com
(acquired
by
Yellow
Pages
Group)
§ WedSnap
Inc.
(acquired
by
The
Knot
Inc.)
§ MMB
Research
(smart-­‐energy
platform,
$1
m.
angel
round)
§ CognoVision
(acquired
by
Intel)
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

4. ¡ NOT
to
become
IP
lawyers
§ Your
job
is
to
build
companies
¡ NOT
to
learn
how
to
file
a
patent
§ Patent
agent
¡ NOT
to
learn
how
to
file
a
trademark
§ Trademark
agent
¡ NOT
to
learn
how
to
file
a
copyright
§ Copyright
office
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

5. ¡ To
learn
3
things:
1. What
is
the
big
deal
with
IP?
2. Why
should
you
care
about
IP?
3. What
do
you
do
about
IP?
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

6. ¡ Billions
of
dollars
are
at
stake:
§ Google
acquisition
of
Motorola
Mobility
$12b.
§ Apple
using
patents
against
Android
§ Auction
for
Nortel
patents
§ i4i
$240
m.
against
Microsoft
§ BlackBerry
loses
BBX
-­‐
even
BBM?
§ Winkelvoss
twins
against
Facebook
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

7. ¡ I
read
about
it
in
Steve
Jobs
biography
§ Steve
Jobs
had
dozens
of
patents
§ Apple
lost
copyright
case
on
Windows
▪ Apple
got
GUI
from
Xerox
PARC
§ Steve
Jobs
negotiated
music
rights
§ Steve
Jobs
was
secretive
&
controlling
▪ NOT
lean
start-­‐up
methodology
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

8. ¡ 3
reasons
why
IP
is
a
big
deal:
1. IP
is
a
legal
fortress
▪ IP
protects
your
valuable
assets
2. IP
is
a
sword
&
shield
§ IP
attacks/defends
against
competitors
3. IP
is
a
money-­‐making
tool
▪ IP
monetizes
your
business
assets
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

9. ¡ IP
is
a
legal
fortress
§ Collect
your
assets
▪ Employment
agreements
–
patents
▪ Consulting
agreements
–
copyright
§ Protect
your
assets
▪ Invention
–
file
a
patent,
trade
secret
▪ Brand
–
file
a
trademark
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

10. ¡ IP
is
a
legal
fortress
§ Kinds
of
assets
▪ Ideas
▪ Business
plans
▪ Inventions
▪ Names,
brands
▪ Software
▪ Designs
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

11. ¡ IP
is
a
sword
&
shield
¡ Patents
§ Invention
▪ New,
non-­‐obvious,
utility
§ 20
year
monopoly
§ First-­‐to-­‐file
system
▪ Not
who
invented
first
▪ No
good-­‐guy
defence
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

12. ¡ Patents
as
Swords
§ Offensive
strategy
§ Sue
competitors
▪ You
are
stepping
on
my
turf
-­‐
stop
or
pay
up
§ i4i
v
Microsoft
▪ $4-­‐5k
to
file,
$15-­‐20k+
to
register
▪ $1m+
to
enforce
a
patent
▪ Public,
venture
$$$,
contingency
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

13. ¡ Patents
as
Shields
§ Defensive
strategy
§ Free
to
practice
invention
§ Deterrent
-­‐
counter-­‐sue
competitors
§ Google
acquisition
of
Motorola
▪ Globe
&
Mail
-­‐
http://bit.ly/q4CpQy
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

14. ¡ Patents
v
Innovation
§ Patents
equal
innovation
§ Patents
kill
innovation
¡ Question
§ How
much
innovation
could
Google
have
produced
if
it
had
spent
$12b
on
product
development
instead
of
Motorola’s
patents?
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

15. ¡ Trademarks
as
Shields
§ Ensure
you
are
free
to
use
▪ Corporate
registration
not
enough
§ Protect
brands
before
investing
▪ Avoid
RIM’s
problems
with
BBX/BBM
§ Filing
fees
are
affordable
§ Short
process
~
6-­‐12
months
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

16. ¡ Trade
Secrets
as
Swords
§ “Secret
sauce”
§ “Confidential”
▪ Source
code,
algorithm,
chemical
formulation,
business
plan,
customer
or
vendor
list,
pricing
list
§ Non-­‐disclosure
agreements
▪ Limit
use
–
only
to
evaluate
our
product
▪ Limit
disclosure
–
only
to
employees
§ Sue
if
they
exceed
limited
rights
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

17. ¡ IP
is
a
money-­‐making
tool
§ Patent
licensing
▪ Microsoft
patents
for
Android
mobile
devices
▪ Hardware
IP
licensing
(IP
cores)
▪ Materials,
biotech
start-­‐ups
§ Copyright
licensing
▪ Foundation
of
software
industry
▪ Music
licensing
(e.g.
iTunes)
§ Trademark
licensing
▪ Merchandise
(e.g.
Star
Wars)
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

18. ¡ IP
is
a
Business
Tool
§ IP
is
not
the
goal
§ IP
is
a
means
to
an
end
§ IP
is
in
service
of
business
objectives
§ IP
works
with
other
business
tools
§ IP
is
a
part
of
your
business
strategy
▪ How
do
make
money?
▪ How
do
maintain
competitive
advantage?
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

19. ¡ Angel
investor
§ Patents
–
purpose
(sword,
shield)
▪ How
does
it
fit
with
business
strategy
§ Digital
media
start-­‐up
▪ Trademark
–
logo,
brand
▪ Copyright
–
content,
software
▪ Patents
–
sometimes
§ Inventive
technology
▪ Patents,
trade
secret
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

20. ¡ List
core
business
assets
§ List
intangible
assets
§ What
is
my
business?
▪ Prioritize
the
assets
§ IP/start-­‐up
advice
§ Strategic
IP
plan
▪ Customize
▪ Prioritize
▪ Timeline
▪ Budget
▪ Review
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC

21. ¡ Tabrizi
Law
Office
P.C.
§ www.tabrizilaw.com
§
arshia_tabrizi
§ arshia@tabrizilaw.com
§ 416.510.2600
x.306
Copyright 2012 Tabrizi Law Office PC