Andrew Cooper

These are things that you should do because they create enhanced protections for you. Sometimes they are notice protections that puts the world on notice that you are the owner of this thing. And sometimes they're enhanced damages protections.

These are things that you should do because they create enhanced protections for you. Sometimes they are notice protections that puts the world on notice that you are the owner of this thing. And sometimes they're enhanced damages protections.

So if someone does steal your IP or copies your work, you are able to get sometimes three times the amount of damages as a result of you just registering your intellectual property. Thirdly, I really encourage small businesses to engage in NDA practice, and that's non-disclosure agreements. Create a standard non-disclosure agreement and use it routinely.

So if someone does steal your IP or copies your work, you are able to get sometimes three times the amount of damages as a result of you just registering your intellectual property. Thirdly, I really encourage small businesses to engage in NDA practice, and that's non-disclosure agreements. Create a standard non-disclosure agreement and use it routinely.

Put NDA provisions in your employee agreements when they onboard. And ensure that they are, they're time bound and they're reasonable. They relate to the work that the person is doing. And that's just with employees, but also with vendors. I should also say, when you have vendors, they're coming onto your property.

Put NDA provisions in your employee agreements when they onboard. And ensure that they are, they're time bound and they're reasonable. They relate to the work that the person is doing. And that's just with employees, but also with vendors. I should also say, when you have vendors, they're coming onto your property.

Make sure vendors have NDAs because, you know, your vendors walking through, they, you know, people might have confidential information sitting on tables or desks. And it's very easy these days to just snap a picture. with your cell phone of confidential information. So make sure that your NDAs are in place and are protecting your information in that way. Monitor and enforce your IP rights.

Make sure vendors have NDAs because, you know, your vendors walking through, they, you know, people might have confidential information sitting on tables or desks. And it's very easy these days to just snap a picture. with your cell phone of confidential information. So make sure that your NDAs are in place and are protecting your information in that way. Monitor and enforce your IP rights.

An IP right is no good if it is not protected and enforced. So if you have copyrights, ensure that you are sending cease and desist letters when you believe someone is infringing, that you are engaging with competent counsel that can negotiate either the takedown of things that are infringing.

An IP right is no good if it is not protected and enforced. So if you have copyrights, ensure that you are sending cease and desist letters when you believe someone is infringing, that you are engaging with competent counsel that can negotiate either the takedown of things that are infringing.

Ensure that you are looking and policing because what ends up happening is there's a theory in the law that if you don't protect your rights, you lose your rights. So if you, for example, know that someone is infringing your trademark and you don't do anything to enforce it, well, if you go for a sufficient period of time without doing it, you may lose some protections.

Ensure that you are looking and policing because what ends up happening is there's a theory in the law that if you don't protect your rights, you lose your rights. So if you, for example, know that someone is infringing your trademark and you don't do anything to enforce it, well, if you go for a sufficient period of time without doing it, you may lose some protections.

So really look at monitoring enforcement programs. The last two things I would say. One, educate your employees.

So really look at monitoring enforcement programs. The last two things I would say. One, educate your employees.

So training employees on the importance of IP and best practices in protecting it can go a really long way to ensuring that you have a strong brand in the minds of consumers and that you're also keeping the value high on your products and your confidential information, your data, your systems. We at UPS, when I was working there, had routine trainings on this stuff.

So training employees on the importance of IP and best practices in protecting it can go a really long way to ensuring that you have a strong brand in the minds of consumers and that you're also keeping the value high on your products and your confidential information, your data, your systems. We at UPS, when I was working there, had routine trainings on this stuff.

It also goes a long way in just ensuring that people know when they have created something that's worthy of protection. And I've seen this many times. You've got people out in the field. They're working in an operating environment, a warehouse or a factory or something. They come up with some fix to a problem that is just a practical fix because they are necessities of mother of all inventions.

It also goes a long way in just ensuring that people know when they have created something that's worthy of protection. And I've seen this many times. You've got people out in the field. They're working in an operating environment, a warehouse or a factory or something. They come up with some fix to a problem that is just a practical fix because they are necessities of mother of all inventions.

They have created a unique, efficient way of doing it. And nobody knows about it except two or three managers inside that factory. And it could be a solution that every factory could use and create economies of scale. And we just don't know about it because employees aren't educated in who to contact when they come up with something that's good like that.

They have created a unique, efficient way of doing it. And nobody knows about it except two or three managers inside that factory. And it could be a solution that every factory could use and create economies of scale. And we just don't know about it because employees aren't educated in who to contact when they come up with something that's good like that.