Securities Laws for Startups Raising Capital
Federal and state securities laws cover startups raising money through sales of equity. People often associate securities laws as relating only to…
Is Your Idea Patentable?
Entrepreneurs often ask whether their idea can be covered by a patent? The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issues patents to U.S.…
Hiring Tips for First Time Entrepreneurs
Your startup company is taking off, and you find yourself wanting to share the workload with others. Now’s the time to bring on new people. You…
H-E-L-L-O Copyright Lawsuit!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV-tVEbwreY On 01/18/2013, freelance photographer Brian Masck filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of the…
Using Images from the Web Legally
This composite Creative Commons logo is a mosaic of 2500 flickr images licensed under a Creative Commons license. Photo by qthomasbower on…
Tips For Using Social Media To Build Your Personal Brand
You can use social media to help establish the characteristics that make your offering unique. These days everyone is trying to develop their…
Google Settles with FTC, Promises to Change Some Business Practices
On Jan. 3, FTC Chairman Jon Leibovitz announced the FTC was closing its investigation of Google. For almost two years now, the Federal Trade…
Go Buy Yourself Something Nice: A Brief Intro to Search Funds
Interest in search funds is growing among students at University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. What if I told you there was a group…
Splitting the Pie
Photo Credit: DigiDi An early decision that can often trip up founders is how to divide the initial equity issued by the startup. While there…
Choosing a Brand
Trademarks fall on a spectrum of distinctiveness. The more distinctive (i.e., less descriptive), the more easily protected. Sitting in front of you…