A King Patent Law, PLLC Guide to Avoiding the Potentially Fatal Flaws of DIY and Online Services

November is a great time to be thankful for the assets you've built, and a smart business owner knows that the intellectual property (IP) protecting their unique creations is one of the most valuable assets of all.

But once you've invented that brilliant gadget or coined that killer brand name, who do you hire to protect it? The choices can feel like a maze, full of shadowy corners and false promises. Should you DIY and brave the journey alone? Rely on a map from a cheap online service? Or hire an experienced intellectual property lawyer as your seasoned guide?

The cost difference seems huge upfront, but I’ve spent over 25 years as a lawyer watching that initial savings turn into a financial catastrophe down the road.

I'm Julie King, your rock-and-horror-loving patent attorney. Welcome back to the recently renamed podcast, “Spellbinding IP: Patent, Trademark, and Business Strategy,” formerly “Know Your Rights: Your IP and Business Law Playbook.” While that title entertained me because it’s a Clash song title, it wasn’t so good for reaching people looking for answers to their IP questions, so an SEO-friendly change was needed. Enough of that. Back to the real content!

Today, I’m leading you through that labyrinth of confusing options to show you four specific, high-stakes mistakes that only a licensed attorney can prevent, proving why the cheap path often leads to a worthless asset and spending more in the long run. I’ll also cover how to choose the right lawyer or law firm to help you.

In this episode:

• Part I: The Three Paths to Protection (1:39)
• Part II: The Four Fatal Flaws an Attorney Can Prevent (2:38)
• 1. The Claims Killer: The Fatal Flaws of DIY Patent Language (2:43)
  2. The Trademark Zombie: Why a Bad Search Dooms Your Brand Before It's Born (11:46)
  3. The Copyright Trap: Filing Too Late to Claim Your Full Damages (21:15)
  4. Who Owns the Asset? The IP Time Bomb in Business (24:03)
• Part III: How Do You Find the Right Intellectual Property Professional? (26:04)
• Conclusion: Choose Your Guide Wisely (30:17)

You can't afford to treat your valuable assets like a low-budget horror flick. Choosing your IP counsel isn't a place to pinch pennies. The money you "save" on a cheap service is often dwarfed by the cost of fixing an application error or, worse, realizing your final patent or trademark is too weak to actually defend your business.

Choose a partner who brings years of the right experience and strategic foresight to the table. Don't let your business's most valuable assets become the victims in a horror story.

Intellectual property is one of the most terrifyingly useful tools you have. If you’re a creator or other entrepreneur ready to build a frighteningly powerful brand and business, you need to know how to use it.

To learn more about protecting your creations, your name, your business, and your legacy, you can book a consultation with me at kingpatentlaw.com. I help entrepreneurs across the U.S. make smart, legally sound decisions about their intellectual property. I'm an attorney in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, and I serve intellectual property clients nationwide.

The information provided in this episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or form an attorney-client relationship. You should not act on any information presented here without first seeking the counsel of a licensed attorney for your specific legal needs.

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