Business Formation Lawyer Virginia
If you’re thinking about starting a company, you have a staggering number of “moving parts” to account for and keep track of. From securing premises to formally registering your company, hiring staff to obtaining necessary permits, a lot goes into starting a business. Working with an attorney proactively can help to ensure that all of your needs are met and that no important concerns fall through the cracks.
One of the most important considerations that you’ll need to account for “from go” is intellectual property. Virtually every business, from at-home crafting empires to mega natural resource corporations is in possession of intellectual property. Failure to safeguard your intellectual property can leave your company vulnerable to liability for the unintended use of another’s intellectual property and vulnerable to infringement upon IP that is rightfully yours. As a result, if you have not yet spoken to the knowledgeable legal team at Dale Jensen, PLC about your company’s intellectual property concerns, now is the time to do so.
Business Formation Lawyer – Virginia
It isn’t uncommon for Americans to think about patents (safeguards for new inventions) and copyrights (safeguards for works of original authorship, artwork, music, etc.) when they hear the term “intellectual property.” There is no question that patents and copyrights can be vital to a company’s success, especially if that company deals with creative work and/or sells novel products. However, the two other foundational pillars of American intellectual property—trademarks and trade secrets—affect virtually every business in the U.S. without exception. Therefore, if you’re thinking that you might refrain from speaking with a Virginia business formation lawyer until you’ve produced a novel invention or have completed a creative composition of some kind, it is time to reframe your approach.
Intellectual Property Considerations
Trade secrets refer to those processes, policies, and approaches that give a company its “edge” in the marketplace. Generally speaking, this kind of intellectual property is safeguarded through the use of contractual terms, including non-disclosure clauses and/or agreements. These should be entered into with employees, partners, and even vendors if they are exposed to your company’s trade secrets.
Trademarks are company names, logos, graphics, and even URLs that are used to distinguish a company’s brand from the brands of its competitors. Even if you “only” sell your wares on Etsy, you likely need to formally register at least one trademark—your company name. If you don’t, a competitor could use that name and trademark it, then turn around and sue you for using their intellectual property. Additionally, competitors could profit off of your intellectual property which could hurt your brand in the marketplace in more ways than one.
Legal Assistance Is Available
If you haven’t yet scheduled a risk-free consultation with the experienced Virginia legal team at Dale Jensen, PLC, please don’t wait another day to do so. Safeguarding a company’s intellectual property is so critical to the potential success and stability of a business model that it is among the most consequential challenges that business owners are compelled to navigate. Our team can help you do so efficiently and effectively. We look forward to speaking with you.