Event Details
Eventually, every inventor is confronted with the decision to protect his technology by ways of utility or design patents, and every entrepreneur begins to accumulate protectable IP long before any deals are closed or products shipped. Understanding the magnitude of the undertaking as well as the process and pitfalls involved can greatly reduce costs and potential liability. In this focused, substantive presentation and QnA session, the attorney panel will speak on patents and other forms of IP, discussing their various roles in ways that are relevant to the startup entrepreneur as well as common pitfalls to avoid.
The panel will offer strategies to minimize costs as you build your business, when and what to obtain at various stages of the business, what to do when threatened with litigation, and how to leverage the intellectual property that you have built. The panel will also cover what to look for in a good IP attorney, and the distinction between patent attorneys, patent agents, and general attorneys. Find out the basics of IP law before the law finds you!
Speaker — Benjamin Kuo
Benjamin P. Kuo (Patents by Benasaur) is a former computer engineer with a solo IP practice based in Los Angeles, specializing in helping smaller entities obtain IP protection. In addition to patent filings, he also supports litigation and consults with practitioners on Patent and Trademark Office issues. Before forming his own practice, he was a patent examiner for the USPTO, examining hundreds of computer networking applications and conducting numerous interviews with outside attorneys. Before working at the USPTO, he practiced at various law firms in the fields of patent prosecution, IP litigation, antitrust litigation, and federal corrupt practices act investigations. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and is licensed in California and before the USPTO.
Speaker — Stephen Vegh
Stephen Vegh (Vegh IP Legal) has been a trusted advisor to individuals, start-ups, small and mid-sized businesses, and Fortune 500 companies looking for a blend of litigation expertise and technical agility in complex intellectually property and business matters. For the last 12 years, Stephen was with a south Orange County IP law firm where he served as “lead counsel” in over one hundred patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret infringement actions throughout the federal district courts of California, Florida, Colorado, Arizona, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma, New York, E.D. Texas, and Connecticut, amongst others. Stephen has also represented clients in over eighty proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board, either opposing the registration of new trademarks or seeking the cancellation of existing trademarks. Stephen also counsels clients on domain name issues and disputes under the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy guidelines of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers).
Speaker — Lisa Luther
The Collaborative Research Association Of Social Hacktivity (CRASH Space) is a hackerspace located in Culver City, Los Angeles. It's a place where people who are interested in a wide variety of topics ranging from science and technology to electronics and art can get together to see how things work, and find new things that can be built from the parts. Visit us at crashspace.org.
- Tuesday — October 23, 2018
3:00PM - 5:00PM - Cross Campus
87 N Raymond Ave
Pasadena, CA 91103
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The Organizer
CRASH Space
CRASH Space non-profit organization located in Los Angeles and run by volunteers. It is a part of the growing global hackerspace movement. We are a collection of hackers, programmers, builders, makers, and artists. We promote science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) by teaching classes, participating in events, providing on-line resources, and by running a shared workshop. Our members use the space to work on their projects, share ideas, and help each other create whatever they envision.