Three contract red flags every business owner should check right now.
Red flag #1: You're operating under an expired contract. A one-year contract ended, but both parties kept performing. You've created legal ambiguity that could blow up in a dispute.
Red flag #2: You have an auto-renewal contract and missedthe cancellation deadline. Many contracts renew automatically unless you give 30, 60, or 90 days’ notice. If you want out, you need to know those deadlines NOW.
Red flag #3: You're paying for services you're not using. Just because you signed it doesn't mean you have to keep it. January is the time to renegotiate or terminate contracts that aren't serving you.
Pull out your contracts this month. Check the dates. Calendar the deadlines.
WANT A FULL 7-POINT BUSINESS CHECKUP CHECKLIST?
Get the complete Beginning-of-Year Business Checkup Checklist at https://kingpatentlaw.com/business-checkup-checklist/
(see QR code in video)
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposesonly, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney.
What does "good standing" actually mean for your business?
If you formed an LLC or corporation, your state requires youto file annual reports and pay fees to stay active. If you don't, your business falls out of "good standing."
Why does this matter? Operating while not in good standingcan void your liability protection, prevent you from filing lawsuits, and create problems when you try to get a loan or sell the business.
Check your status right now at your Secretary of State'swebsite. Takes two minutes.
WANT A FULL 7-POINT BUSINESS CHECKUP CHECKLIST?
Get the complete Beginning-of-Year Business Checkup Checklist at https://kingpatentlaw.com/business-checkup-checklist/
(see QR code in video)
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposesonly, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney.
This registered agent mistake could cost your business $10K+
Registered agent moves and doesn’t update address. Business misses a lawsuit notice.
Default judgment: $10,000.
Check your registered agent info NOW.
WANT A FULL 7-POINT BUSINESS CHECKUP CHECKLIST?
Get the complete Beginning-of-Year Business Checkup Checklist at https://kingpatentlaw.com/business-checkup-checklist/
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposesonly, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship.For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney.
You're busy. You don't have time for a full business audit this month. I get it.
Here's a 15-minute business health check you can do right now that will prevent many of the easily preventable legal disasters I see in small businesses.
⏱️ THE 3 STEPS (5 minutes each):
1. Check your state business entity status online
2. Calendar all renewal deadlines for the year
3. Verify your registered agent contact info
Fifteen minutes. Three tasks. Prevents disaster.
📋 WANT THE FULL CHECKUP?
Get the complete Beginning-of-Year Business Checkup Checklist at https://kingpatentlaw.com/business-checkup-checklist/
Ready to protect your brand and business? Book aconsultation at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
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Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney.
Your business entity might be in trouble, and you don't even know it. Here are 3 critical corporate housekeeping tasks you need to check right now.
THE 3 TASKS:
1. Verify your business is in good standing with the state
2. Confirm your registered agent information is current
3. Review your operating agreement or bylaws
These three tasks take less than an hour total, but theyprevent catastrophic problems down the road.
📋 DOWNLOAD THE FREE CHECKLIST:Get the complete Beginning-of-Year Business Checkup Checklist at https://kingpatentlaw.com/business-checkup-checklist/
Ready to protect your brand and business? Book aconsultation at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
---
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposesonly, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney.
It's January, and your business needs a checkup. I'm breaking down the 7 critical things every business owner should review this month to prevent legal disasters before they start.🗂️ TIMESTAMPS:0:00 - Introduction: Why January?1:32 - Corporate Housekeeping (Points 1-3)5:30 - Contracts and Agreements (Points 4-5)8:39 - Compliance and Licensing (Points 6-7)11:10 - The 15-Minute Quick Check12:13 - When to Call a Lawyer12:56 - Conclusion and Resources📋 DOWNLOAD THE FREE CHECKLIST:Get the complete Beginning-of-Year Business Checkup Checklist at https://kingpatentlaw.com/business-checkup-checklist/✅ THE 7 POINTS COVERED:1. Verify your business entity is in good standing2. Confirm your registered agent information is current3. Review and update your operating agreement or bylaws4. Audit your active contracts5. Review employee and contractor documentation6. Verify business licenses and permits are current7. Review your business insurance coverageReady to protect your brand and business? Book a consultation at kingpatentlaw.com.Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.---ABOUT KING PATENT LAW:I help entrepreneurs across the U.S. make smart, legally sound decisions about their intellectual property and business structure. I'm an attorney in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, serving clients nationwide.🎙️ PODCAST: "Spellbinding IP: Patent, Trademark, and Business Strategy" on all major podcast platforms📱 SOCIAL: @kingpatentlaw🌐 WEBSITE: kingpatentlaw.com---Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney.
In this episode, patent and trademark lawyer Julie King covers how to use BOTH design patent protection and trade dress trademark protection to protect your product design initially and indefinitely.
Learn which to use first and why that is.
Full transcript and more resources at kingpatentlaw.com/blog
Ready to protect your brand and business? Book a consultation at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney
In this episode, patent and trademark lawyer Julie King covers the differences between design patents and trade dress trademarks, and how the design being functional and not just ornamental can be a HUGE problem for getting either kind of protection.
Full transcript and more resources at kingpatentlaw.com/blog
Ready to protect your brand and business? Book a consultation at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
________________________________________
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney.
In this episode (#150!), patent and trademark lawyer Julie King covers how trade dress trademarks can protect your product design indefinitely.
Learn the two strict hurdles to getting this protection: non-functionality and "secondary meaning."
Full transcript and more resources at kingpatentlaw.com/blog
Ready to protect your brand and business? Book a consultation at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
________________________________________
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney.
In this episode, Julie King covers how a design patent is the first intellectual property tool to use to protect and defend how your product LOOKS.
Full transcript at kingpatentlaw.com/blog
Don't let the legal darkness win. Ready to build or manage your frighteningly powerful IP? Book your consultation with me at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
This information is for educational purposes only, isn’t legal advice, and doesn’t form an attorney-client relationship. Please seek the counsel of a licensed attorney, perhaps me, for your specific legal needs.
Welcome to Spellbinding IP! This week, we tackle the Two-Headed Monster of Design IP: the combined power of Design Patents and Trade Dress. Julie King explains why you need both tools to protect your product's look. Learn which one gives you immediate enforcement power (the patent) and which one protects your design indefinitely (the trade dress), and why functionality is the major legal hurdle for both.
In this Episode:Design Patents - the 15-year head start (1:06)What Design Patents Have That Trade Dress Doesn’t (1:41)Trade Dress Trademarks - the nearly immortal protection (2:51)What Trade Dress Has That Design Patents Don’t (3:29)Trade Dress Biggest Obstacles: Functionality and Time (3:57)The Two-Stage Defense: Building a Ferocious Beast (5:08)Full transcript at kingpatentlaw.com/blog
Don't let the legal darkness win. Ready to build or manage your frighteningly powerful IP? Book your consultation with me at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
This information is for educational purposes only, isn’t legal advice, and doesn’t form an attorney-client relationship. Please seek the counsel of a licensed attorney, perhaps me, for your specific legal needs.
In this episode, Julie King covers how to keep your business's value safe by keeping its secrets safe. Your secret recipe, customer mailing list, marketing plan, and anything else that gives you a competitive edge because no one else knows it, all need to be locked down!
Full transcript at kingpatentlaw.com/blog
Don't let the legal darkness win. Ready to build or manage your frighteningly powerful IP? Book your consultation with me at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
This information is for educational purposes only, isn’t legal advice, and doesn’t form an attorney-client relationship. Please seek the counsel of a licensed attorney, perhaps me, for your specific legal needs.
In this episode, Julie King covers why it's crucial for you to keep your invention hush-hush until you know whether making it public will destroy some of your potential patent rights.Full transcript at kingpatentlaw.com/blog
Don't let the legal darkness win. Ready to build or manage your frighteningly powerful IP? Book your consultation with me at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
This information is for educational purposes only, isn’t legal advice, and doesn’t form an attorney-client relationship. Please seek the counsel of a licensed attorney, perhaps me, for your specific legal needs.
In this episode, Julie King covers how a business's first trademark mistake can be catastrophic. THOROUGH business name and brand name clearance is a must to avoid infringement.
Full transcript at kingpatentlaw.com/blog
Don't let the legal darkness win. Ready to build or manage your frighteningly powerful IP? Book your consultation with me at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
This information is for educational purposes only, isn’t legal advice, and doesn’t form an attorney-client relationship. Please seek the counsel of a licensed attorney, perhaps me, for your specific legal needs.
In this episode, Julie King covers why your business can't rely on automatic copyright rights to maximize the copyright rights and their value.
Full transcript at kingpatentlaw.com/blog
Don't let the legal darkness win. Ready to build or manage your frighteningly powerful IP? Book your consultation with me at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
This information is for educational purposes only, isn’t legal advice, and doesn’t form an attorney-client relationship. Please seek the counsel of a licensed attorney, perhaps me, for your specific legal needs.
In this episode, we talk about how to ensure your company's IP assets survive and thrive. Julie King covers the four vital IP types that can add capital to your business as valuable assets or leave money on the table or, worse, destroy the value of the business if mismanaged or ignored. We discuss protecting your expressions (Copyright), your source (Trademark), your invention (Patent), and your confidential knowledge (Trade Secret).
Copyright (1:05)Trademark (2:26)Patent (4:01)Trade Secret (5:07)
Full transcript at kingpatentlaw.com/blog
Don't let the legal darkness win. Ready to build or manage your frighteningly powerful IP? Book your consultation with me at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP!
This information is for educational purposes only, isn’t legal advice, and doesn’t form an attorney-client relationship. Please seek the counsel of a licensed attorney, perhaps me, for your specific legal needs.
Why can DIY patent filing be an inventor's most expensive mistake?
Weak or vague claims from self-filing are easily invalidated or worked around. Invest in legal expertise for a robust asset.
Full transcript at kingpatentlaw.com/blog
Don't let the legal darkness win. Ready to build or manage your frighteningly powerful IP? Book your consultation with me at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
This information is for educational purposes only, isn’t legal advice, and doesn’t form an attorney-client relationship. Please seek the counsel of a licensed attorney, perhaps me, for your specific legal needs.
Can AI be an inventor? 🤖 NO! The USPTO rule is clear: only natural persons can be inventors. Naming an AI as an inventor is bad, and taking credit for the parts the AI came up with is the sin of Impersonation and can invalidate your patent. Document the human conception!
Full transcript at kingpatentlaw.com/blog
Don't let the legal darkness win. Ready to build or manage your frighteningly powerful IP? Book your consultation with me at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
This information is for educational purposes only, isn’t legal advice, and doesn’t form an attorney-client relationship. Please seek the counsel of a licensed attorney, perhaps me, for your specific legal needs.
Your Idea is NEW, but is it OBVIOUS? The Obvious Killer haunts the USPTO. Learn the PHOSITA Test (Person Having Ordinary Skill in the Art) and how to prove your invention is a "significant leap," not just an expected variation!
Full transcript at kingpatentlaw.com/blog
Don't let the legal darkness win. Ready to build or manage your frighteningly powerful IP? Book your consultation with me at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
This information is for educational purposes only, isn’t legal advice, and doesn’t form an attorney-client relationship. Please seek the counsel of a licensed attorney, perhaps me, for your specific legal needs.
Legal Fact: Sin 3 - Omission.
Rejections based on insufficient disclosure are one of the most common grounds for application failure.
A vague claim is an unenforceable claim.
Full transcript at kingpatentlaw.com/blog
Don't let the legal darkness win. Ready to build or manage your frighteningly powerful IP? Book your consultation with me at kingpatentlaw.com.
Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.
This information is for educational purposes only, isn’t legal advice, and doesn’t form an attorney-client relationship. Please seek the counsel of a licensed attorney, perhaps me, for your specific legal needs.