innovation dilemma: innovation dilemma: secrecy v. collaborationsecrecy v. collaboration

ernest grumblesernest grumbles

merchant & gouldmerchant & gould

3.12.20103.12.2010

secrecy v. collaboration secrecy v. collaboration

origin of ideas secrecy – good or bad? ip and secrecy

origin of ideas:origin of ideas:

fiction: eureka!

fact: it’s complicated

is there anything new?

punk rockpunk rock

an evolving conversation…an evolving conversation…

the manhattan projectthe manhattan project

linear collaboration linear collaboration

concurrent collaborationconcurrent collaboration

we’re all collaborating…we’re all collaborating…

open source – Android, open source – Android, LinuxLinux

collaborative work collaborative work modelsmodels

free/open discussionfree/open discussion

let the ideas outlet the ideas out

theft – this is realtheft – this is real risks/rewardsrisks/rewards

who will benefitwho will benefit investors careinvestors care

loss of ip rights loss of ip rights

issuesissues

ideas kept in a lockbox…ideas kept in a lockbox…

safety

exclusivity

ip protection

innovation stifled collaboration inhibited loss of crowd wisdom business model suffers

issuesissues

ip and tech innovationip and tech innovation

exclusivity (for some period)

forms: trade secret patent copyright (source code)

trade secrets - what?trade secrets - what?

confidential information that has value from not being generally known

protected by statute (like Uniform Trade Secrets Act) and contract

trade secrets: examplestrade secrets: examples

MARKET PLANS, FINANCIALS, SUPPLIER LISTS, CUSTOMER LISTS

trade secrets: processtrade secrets: process

maintain absolute secrecy of data

public release = death identify inventions control access – NDA’s no registration process – “free”

patents: what?patents: what?

share your inventions and get limited grant of exclusivity (20 years)

promote linear collaboration broker public/private benefit

patents: examplespatents: examples

patents: processpatents: process

evaluate inventions application process ($5-20K) provisional – ($1-5K) 2-5 years a dead patent is dead

patents and secrecypatents and secrecy

confidentiality of inventions is essential

public use/sale (pre-filing) in US, Canada, Japan: starts 1

year bar clock! elsewhere – patentability

destroyed provisional patents – a quick fix

practicalitypracticality

know your IP share info when it makes sense use NDA’s to protect trade

secrets (if at all possible) be mindful of impact on IP rights remember your investors

the endthe end

egrumbles@merchantgould.cegrumbles@merchantgould.comom

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