business skills

Protecting your IP: Where to start?

September 19, 2019 Jane 0

The cultural difference between an academic openness and the need for privacy in early stages of a commercial enterprise are pronounced. If a patent portfolio is part of your company offering, then you will need to reconsider what you disclose publicly from now on.

We spoke with Adrian Tombling from Withers & Rogers to get his perspective as a patent attorney. With his own academic background in genetics, he has extensive experience representing biotech and pharma companies in patent applications.

There are two pieces of fundamental advice to consider regarding your start up.

Firstly, you must not disclose it publicly until you’ve considered whether you want to protect it via a patent. This is essential. Clients have said to me “I’ve got this great idea…I only disclosed this part”. But often what they…

Attached Issue № 0519

Is crowdfunding an option?

September 19, 2019 Jane 0

Crowdfunding is a mechanism of raising money by putting out a public call to a wide group of people, the crowd. It allows you to take ownership of the fundraising process and broadens the participation base with more funders involved in the process.

It is an extension of the digital empowerment we have seen in sectors like the music industry, where groups can now record and distribute their creative output by themselves, reaching their fans directly.

Crowdfunding is the financial manifestation of that. It disintermediates the process and removes the middlemen, expanding the groups that you can reach. It provides opportunities for…

Attached Issue № 0519