Thomas Colson

IP education made easy and engaging! Check us out here:

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

A good partner will show up at your door with a new toothbrush on the exact day you need it. No lapse, no decay, no missed rights. That's the magic of reliability.

So if you want peace of mind for your portfolio, let's talk.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

Invest in the right patents and avoid investing in the wrong patents.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

Have you ever considered checking the prosecution status of a competitive patent or patent application?

Well, you should.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

Here's the thing: if you publish your innovative ideas—even on LinkedIn or social media—you'll destroy some potential patent rights and all trade secret rights.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

If you want to learn more about our engaging IP training, check us out here!: https://t.co/WrUPqtJLZr

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

Since trade dress protection can last forever, and design patent protection only lasts for 15 years from the date of grant, obtaining trade dress protection can give you a much longer competitive advantage.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

Lawyers can be punished with suspensions, and even disbarments, for disclosing clients' secrets—which means no more career.

But even without these harsh penalties, a patent lawyer's reputation for secrecy and confidentiality is as necessary as his or her legal skills.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

What do you do if you're threatened with patent infringement?

Well, whatever you do, don’t ignore it.

This problem will not just go away.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

An invention which is solely generated by AI is not patentable, because only humans can be patented inventors.

So, if you use AI to invent, you cannot get a patent for that invention—and that means anyone can copy it, and there's nothing you can legally do about it.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

A small fortune in legal fees and years of heart-attack-inducing stress over litigation—have the hard conversations about IP ownership upfront.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

Here’s a game I play sometimes: wherever I am, I look around and count how many potential IP assets I can spot.

Now, I’m not saying these things are currently protected, but they either are or could have been.

Try the game yourself. You’ll be shocked at how high your count goes

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

If your invention is functional, you're in the realm of utility patents.

If your invention relates to the visual or ornamental characteristics embodied in or applied to an article of manufacture, you should be thinking about design protection.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

The moment you sign a contract, you take on obligations. If you violate them—or if the other party thinks you did—you could get sued.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

The best way to keep people from copying your code is to treat it as a trade secret, never share it outside a trusted circle, and ensure everyone is trained and bound by an NDA.

If you must share your code more widely, lock all recipients with NDAs.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

If you're innovating and understand the importance of intellectual property protection, consider at least two primary advantages.

The first advantage is cost.

The second advantage is the duration of protection.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

There are multiple ways to split up a patent to make money.

With licensing, you can sell exclusive and non-exclusive licenses.

Whether exclusive or non-exclusive, you can license each patent right individually.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

Most salespeople think customers meet with them in between their real work—but that’s totally false.

A big part of your customer’s job is meeting with people like you—people who have solutions to their challenges.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

If you want to get your customer talking, use Socratic probes.

These are easily answered questions designed to increase the flow of information. In a great sales conversation, the customer should be talking 80% of the time.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

Salespeople are always looking ahead—to future deals, future goals, and future growth.

But if you truly want to understand your customer, you have to look backward first.

The present is just a cork holding in the past.

[Thomas Colson @ExecutiveIP]

Customers have a way of just sitting there, silently, as if to say, "You asked me for my time. Impress me with your magic." This is where most people start to panic and pitch. But the best move is to use a Socratic opener.