Internet & Cyber Law Attorneys
Intellectual Property Protection
It's no secret that the pace of e-commerce is shockingly quick and causing many sleepless nights for those in the business and legal community. And that's why reliance on intellectual property protection has exploded in recent years as established companies find out that they can't rely on traditional physical barriers to keep the competition at bay.
And because of the rapid change of pace, Internet or Cyber Law is increasingly becoming an absolute necessity for business's both big and small. Less than a decade ago, traditional barriers to entry such as a businesses location, the amount of space they owned or leased, distribution channels, retail outlets, and reams of market research was almost a guarantee on locking about your competition.
Today, that guarantee is gone and businesses of all sizes have to rely on cyber laws and internet copyright laws as a means of protection.
For the first time in this country's history, brand-new businesses are almost an immediate threat to companies with long and successful traditions. And many pundits agree that business-as-usual changed with the entry of Amazon.com into the marketplace in the late 90's. They literally forced the mature and established book retailing industry to change the way it operated.....and business leaders across the country watched this battle closely and began to realize that they needed to innovate as well in order to compete.
Today, patents are being used by banks, real estate firms, stockbrokers, insurance companies, and retailers to protect new or unique methods of doing business.
Patent law is not the only area of intellectual property that has seen a sudden increase in popularity. Companies of all sizes have rushed to register trademarks as they realize the importance of brand recognition on the Internet. And our nation's copyright laws are being tested like never before because copyright infringement is as simple as cut-and-paste.
The growing field of Internet cyberlaw helps companies utilize our nation's existing intellectual property laws as technological innovations keep evolving.
Both Glenn and I focus exclusively in the area of intellectual property law - and not only in the traditional areas. In the last decade, we've kept pace with the rapid changes in technology and E-Commerce as they try to outrun our laws.
Being First is Just the Start of the Race
If you own a technology company, bringing a new product or service to the market before anyone else is a phenomenal advantage. In the past, the first company to introduce a new product or idea always enjoyed an advantage over the competition by having their manufacturing, marketing, and distribution channels in place before anyone has.
This made it extremely difficult for any of your competitors to catch up. However, Internet based business methods and ideas offer few barriers to your competition. All your competitor needs to do is reverse engineer or copy the business method or idea.... and then it becomes a track-meet to see who finishes first.
Perhaps even worse, many young or inexperienced business owners or entrepreneurs don't understand that being first with an idea, service, or product is only temporary. If they don't have legal protection, it's just a matter of time before their competitors enter the market.
If it's a very large competitor, they'll simply lower the price and drive you right out of business.
Over the years, I've been asked many times, "how long do I have before I start seeing competition". My answer - it depends. If you have an Internet based business, it could be only a matter of days. If you have a traditional manufacturing-based and invention or product, you'll get more time because production methods take longer to set-up.
Another worry would be your competitors that sit and wait. They study your idea or product, improve it and when they introduce it, they don't make the same marketing mistakes you might have made.
But before you can even introduce a new idea or product, you need one very important thing - money. And that usually means attracting investors or venture capitalists.
And these individuals will demand an ability to maintain a competitive advantage on any idea or product they invest in. No protection equals no money. And you protect your idea or product using various intellectual property laws including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and contractual agreements.
If you have an idea, service or product that you plan on introducing or marketing on the Internet, take a look at the following Intellectual Property areas - they all apply to your business...each will open in a new window for you to review.
Copyright Protection and Internet Copyright Laws
Trade Secrets & and Contractual Agreements
Conclusion
In today’s cut-throat business environment, the real value of a business often lies in its ability to capitalize upon its creativity and innovation. And many times the greatest asset a new business has is its ideas.
The real wealth comes from taking the ideas and turning them into practical and useful products....but not before you get the proper legal protection needed to prevent others from borrowing your work.
That's where we can help. When you're ready to take the next step, give Glenn or me a call at 1-866-433-2288. We'll be glad to spend a few minutes on the phone discussing you idea.
Have Questions About Internet Law?
If you find you're having a difficult time finding a internet/intellectual law attorney in your area, then don't hesitate to contact us. We'll be glad to help.
