GRAND RAPIDS – Do you have an idea that you believe is worth protecting? Do you think you shouldn?t talk about it for fear that someone will steal it? Have you ever written a non-disclosure document? What is intellectual property worth? Did you know that a trademark doesn?t have to be registered in the United States to be protected?
There are a lot of rights due IP owners, but there is also a lot of research that goes into finding out if your idea has already been protected by someone else.
Come to aimWest?s February 19 event to learn from the experts how to protect your intellectual property, idea, brand or product.
Panel includes:
James Mitchell, BSc Chemistry, Michigan Tech, JD Law University of Michigan, specializes in pharmaceutical patent litigation, chemical patent litigation, and trademark litigation. He served as lead counsel in two successfully tried ?Hatch-Waxman? cases, against pharmaceutical giants J&J-Merck, and McNeil.
Dan Girdwood, from Price Heneveld, focuses on start-up companies, partnerships and early innovation, and has helped start several non-profit inventor organizations designed specifically to help ?novice? inventors.
Jim Shultz, from Marshall Gerstein & Borun LLP, focuses primarily on patent prosecution and enforcement of patent rights, particularly with regard to software and business methods. While the majority of Jim?s work is with fortune 500 companies (Google, Emerson Electric, Marvell and State Farm), he often works with local start-ups and small businesses in developing intellectual property portfolios.
aimWest President Douglas Kelly will serve as moderator.
Wednesday, February 19
Networking time: 5:00 pm
Panelists take Stage: 6:00 pm
Location: 301 Fulton St W, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Parking: Free Event Parking is available at the GVSU ?Pew Center Event Parking Lot?. Entry to the lot is on W. Fulton street under the 131 highway bridge.
After-party: 7:00 pm (also at Eberhard Center)
