The artificial intelligence tools you are using right now to run your business, to write your marketing copy, design your logo, generate product ideas, create images for your website, and produce your social media content, are raising intellectual property questions that most business owners have not fully thought through yet.
And here is what makes it genuinely spooky: the wrong assumption can cost you your copyright. It can sink your trademark application. It can leave you building a brand on a foundation you do not actually own.
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The Four Intellectual Property Tools Every Creative Needs in Their Arsenal: When we talk about intellectual property, we are talking about four main categories: copyright, trademark, patents, and trade secrets. As a creative, your work often touches multiple categories at once. Understanding which protects what is the foundation of any smart IP strategy.
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A zombie business is what happens when a business loses its owner or a key owner without any plan in place for what comes next. The owner is gone, but the business staggers forward without direction, without legal authority, and without any structure to resolve the chaos.
It can happen when a founder dies, becomes incapacitated, or simply wants to retire. It can happen when a co-founder relationship falls apart with no exit plan. But death is the clearest example, and it is where the consequences hit hardest.
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Are there horrors lurking in your business’s outdated operating agreements or bylaws, problematic contractor agreements, expired licenses, or other dusty business corners? If you’re not sure, right now is the time to find out, before they cause serious problems. This is essential business maintenance you need to do at least once a year. This article, gives you a clear 7-point checklist you can work through now to save yourself major headaches.
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Thinking about filing a trademark before you launch? Intent-to-Use applications and specimen requirements are more complex than they appear. Patent attorney Julie King explains what goes wrong and why trademark attorney guidance matters. You’ve got a great brand name. Maybe you’ve designed a logo. You’re getting ready to launch your business or product. But here’s the question everyone asks: Should you wait until you’re actually selling products to file for a trademark? Or can you file now and secure your rights before launch?
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How Trump Business Ownership of Airport Trademarks Would Violate the Domestic Emoluments Clause: How does the Domestic Emoluments Clause apply to these trademark applications? Who names airports? That’s right, Congress does, for airports under federal jurisdiction, and the states do for state-owned airports.
Trump has asked for the Palm Beach International Airport and Dulles International Airport to be named after him. Given that these applications also cover airport construction, it’s not a leap to think there may be future airports Trump wants to be named “DONALD J. TRUMP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT” and/or “PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,” especially if the…
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Planning to sell internationally? Learn when and how to file patents globally using PCT, Paris Convention, or direct foreign filing. Patent attorney Julie King breaks down your options. By the end of this post, you’ll understand your options, the deadlines you cannot miss, and how to build a global patent strategy that actually supports your business instead of draining your bank account.
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Let’s be blunt: getting a patent is hard. The USPTO rejects most applications before ultimately granting them. The process takes 2-3 years at best, and a minimum budget of $25,000 is realistic. I’m not trying to scare you. I’m making sure you go in with your eyes open, like walking into a horror movie knowing there will be jump scares. If your invention has real commercial potential, the investment is absolutely worth it.
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“Can I file my own patent application?” Legally? Yes. Should you? Almost certainly not. Patent law is incredibly technical. The claims, which are the part that defines what’s actually protected, must be written with surgical precision. One wrong word can mean the difference between strong protection and worthless paper.
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here’s a very important point that trips up so many inventors. There. Is. No. Such. Thing. As. A. Provisional. Patent. It is a provisional patent APPLICATION, and it will NEVER become a patent unless a non-provisional application that can claim its priority date is filed within the 12-month deadline. It’s like Frankenstein’s monster without the brain.
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The most underrated step in the patent process? WRITE. IT. DOWN. Document your invention with dates. Describe what it is, how it works, what problem it solves, and when you developed it. Document what didn’t work right. Dr. Frankenstein went through a lot of trial and error to bring his creation to life. If you’re not working alone, document who did what. Credit Igor with using the damaged brain and note what result that produced. You don’t need fancy legal language, just make clear, detailed notes.
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Is “file a patent application” on your 2026 goal list? Amazing! But before you dive in, make sure you understand which type of IP protection you actually need. Patents protect inventions: new and useful processes, machines, or compositions. Not logos (that’s trademarks), not creative works (that’s copyright), not business names (also trademarks). Sometimes inventions are better protected as trade secrets than through patents. Sometimes you need a combination of protections to cover your bases. Getting this right at the start saves you serious time and money.
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New year, new innovations! If “file a patent application” made it onto your 2026 goal list, congratulations, you’re thinking like a business owner who understands that intellectual property can be a serious asset. But if you’re staring at that goal wondering what your first move should be, you’re not alone. Patent law is complex (that’s why I went to law school and took an additional bar exam for it), but the starting point doesn’t have to be scary.
Let me walk you through where to begin when you’re ready to protect your brilliant idea.
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