This document discusses strategies for protecting intellectual property and raising funding for projects through crowdfunding platforms. It notes that intellectual property theft costs US companies $250 billion annually. It recommends identifying intellectual property, protecting it with trademarks, patents, copyrights or trade secrets, picking a crowdfunding platform, building social capital online and offline, and then creating a pitch for funding. Key steps include understanding intellectual property ownership and dates, choosing the right platform based on the funding model, and gaining expertise to create high-quality promotional materials within legal guidelines.

1. "TRAKLIGHT", "ID YOUR IP", "IP VAULT", and "IP CLOUD" are registered trademarks of The PIP Vault, LLC. © MMXIII The PIP Vault, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Mary Juetten, Founder & CEO
Practice Safe Crowdfunding™: Raise money while Protecting your Ideas
May 5th, 2014
UIA – National Hardware Show

2. Inventors’ World

3. Innovation Capture is Hard

4. Got Intellectual Property?
Why Care…
• IP theft costs US companies $250
billion annually
• 100% of all companies have IP
• 700K new startups annually vs. 20%
protected IP after 1st year
• IP is most valuable asset and not on
your Balance Sheet
• Exclude competition; Attract
investment (incl. crowdfunding);
Leverage & license
• Avoid IP loss, infringement, or
business failure
Disclaimer: This is intended to be general information. Nothing in this presentation constitutes
legal advice. Please consult with an attorney before making any intellectual property protection
decisions.

5. What is IP?
• Patents (utility & design)
• Copyright ©
• Trademark/Service mark TM SM ®
• Trade secrets – unsung heroes
NO legal advice provided!

6. IP Misconceptions
• IP is just for Tech Startups or Tech companies & Patents are the only
IP for inventors.
• Trade secrets are the easiest to
protect because there is no
registration.
• You can copy anything without
a copyright ©
• You can copyright an idea.
• Domain = TM
• If I pay for it, I own it.
• Patents means right to make or sell.

7. Start on the Right Trak
Do NOT start with creating a:
Campaign
Pitch
or
Business Plan
THIS APPLIES TO ALL FINANCING!
Disclaimer: This is intended to be general information. Nothing in this presentation constitutes
legal advice. Please consult with an attorney before making any intellectual property protection
decisions.

8. Summary
IDENTIFY IP
PROTECT IP
PICK A PLATFORM
BUILD SOCIAL CAPITAL
CREATE A PITCH

9. Strategies:
1.ID IP 2.Protect IP
WHY
WHO
WHAT
WHEN
WHERE
✔

10. WHO: IP Ownership Challenges
• Multiple Inventors
• Who you are? Employee of another company
• Proper Assignment of IP Rights – personal versus
company
• Assume that Ownership automatically extends outside
the US

11. • Date of Idea/Invention (First to Invent  First
INVENTOR to file)
• Date of Use
• Date of Filing
• Date of Conversion
• Renewals
WHEN: Key Dates to Remember

12. • Idea
• URL
• Name
• Know how
• Employees
• Contractors
WHAT: Business Plan/Funding
Presentation

13. Strategies to Protect IP
• Do it Yourself:
– USPTO.gov
– Copyright.gov
• Hire a Professional:
– Attorney, Consultant, Legal
Zoom, Rocket Lawyer
• Secrets:
– Notary, IP Vault, Copyright software

14. • Inventor
• Website
• Software
• Restaurant
• Traklight!
`
Case Studies
2/ 26/ 13 11:42 AMIP Awareness Assessm ent
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Trademarks
Q5. Do you control and manage the proper use of your trademark by other users
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Important Notice
Please note that any information provided
here does not constitute legal advice, but is
intended to increase your IP awareness.
When filing an application for obtaining
specific IP rights, it is recommended that you
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Awareness Assessment contains links to
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IP Strategies & Best Practices
Trademarks
Copyrights
Design Patents
Trade Secrets
Utility Patents
Using Technology of Others
Licensing Technology to Others
International IP Rights
IP Asset Tracking
IP category
Last Modified: February 26, 2013

15. 3. PICK A PLATFORM
• REWARDS BASED:
Kickstarter Indiegogo How it works online!
• FEDERAL EQUITY BASED:
Not yet legal  Online Business Planning
OTHER:
Angel List, Lending Club, Georgia CF

16. GET READY NOW
Federal Securities Equity is not yet Legal
Create a Pipeline
Same steps as other Financing Sources

17. EQUITY is not Easy
Requirements include:
Business Plan
Financial Statements
Background Checks
Valuation

18. REWARDS
CHOOSE THE BEST PLATFORM FOR
YOU:
• ALL OR NOTHING
• % BASED ON TYPE
• BE REALISTIC

19. STEP 4: RAISE SOCIAL CAPTIAL
Success is directly related to Social Capital
Social Capital is more than Social Media
Quality not Quantity
social icon: creative nerds, iconarchive.com

20. CONTENT IS KING
Expert
Blogs
Speaking
Social Media
PR
Start working on this
before you launch your
campaign.
Traklight blog

21. Case Study: Lessons Learned

22. What they do.
• Genetic Art
– Ts
– Portraits
• Channels
– Obsessed pet owner
– Animal organizations
• Convert Steel shipping containers into
medical clinics
• Cooling/Heating installed
• Most of medical equipment
needs/electric and sink
• Durable
• Quickly Installed

23. A Tale of Two Campaigns
2

24. Seriously?... Try again?
• Lessons learned
• New plan of action
• New cause
• New business
opportunity

25. The new plan.
• Pre-Selling
• HEAVY PR
– Social Presence
– Local media
• Partnering
• Get it in writing
• New rewards structure
• SCHEDULE

26. Results?!

27. ONLINE
Campaign
Business Plan
Projections
`
STEP 5: CREATE PITCH

28. Ignorance is NOT a Defense
Be Careful:
Video
Copy
Business Plans

29. READ READ READ
Read License & Permission to Use
Check out CreativeCommons.org

30. Questions?
Mary Juetten
mejuetten@traklight.com
@traklight @maryjuetten
IDENTIFY. PROTECT. SUCCEED.
www.traklight.com
TAKE OUR FREE RISK QUIZ