BYP 149 - Protecting Your Intellectual Property with Steve Sponseller

You work hard every day to craft your ideas, frameworks, and strategies. But what can you do to legally protect them?

Today I interview Steve Sponseller, a patent attorney based in Spokane, Washington about best-practices when it comes to protecting our intellectual property. In this episode you will learn:

• The difference between copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets
• What legally constitutes a trademark, and when you should file for one
• Who really "owns" the creation when a contractor (like a designer or copywriter) creates intellectual property for a client
• When to use U.S. based contractors vs. when it's ok to use contractors who are overseas
• and so much more

While this topic isn't the "sexiest" topic out there, it's extremely important. Several years ago I witness Michael Hyatt go through a trademark tiff with the National Speakers Association which I blogged about here.

Thankfully things worked out for both groups, but it was a looming reminder that IP conflicts can come unexpectedly, and that we should all be prepared for them.

Grab Your Copy of Steve Sponseller's Intellectual Property Checklist

Intellectual property is not optional. Every business, from solo entrepreneurs to large corporations, has valuable intellectual property that must be protected. Grab Steve's free checklist here:

Get the IP Checklist here