New patent laws in the U.S., the long backlog at the patent office, as well as the increased risk of patent litigation, make it absolutely critical for a startup to start building its intellectual property (IP) portfolio as early as possible.

Unfortunately in our startup advisory practice, we repeatedly see startups come to us after they have mismanaged their IP strategy, either as a result of ignorance about the process or as a result of miscommunications with their patent lawyers.

Many entrepreneurs are also getting misleading advice from investors and other Silicon Valley influencers who are misinformed about the basics of IP strategy. The implications of embracing the wrong IP advice can be devastating to startup valuations and successful exits. Read Full Article