Intellectual Property


Almost everyone wants to claim some IP, but many people don't know how to fully employ IP rights. Patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial designs, trade secrets, and licenses, among others, are IP tools that provide different zones of protection, involve different costs, and have different pros and cons in their application.
A non-existent or poorly-considered IP strategy may result in too little protection or unneccessary costs because it didn't fully consider how various factors might be relevant a business's current situation or future objectives. Or perhaps the business becomes at risk of a lawsuit because it didn't take into account other people's IP. Also, if you have a health or medical technology, the existence of health- or health-product laws and regulations might be need to be worked into the strategy.
Need some help? Here are some of the services I offer:

Agreements

I can help you to prepare a single license, or to develop a standard form for a non-disclosure agreement, for example.

Litigation

I can assist with trying to resolve your dispute before any lawsuit, but I can also represent you before the Ontario Superior Court or the Federal Court of Canada if need be.

Due Diligence

Whether you're buying a business or a single product, I can help ensure the IP is in good order.

Strategy

If you need help figuring out what kind of IP protection might be best suited to your business or products, I can help you put together a plan that balances the risks and benefits. Please note that I'm not a patent or trademark agent, but I know a few I can refer you to if one is needed.

Legal Opinions

Not sure if your product infringes someone else's IP or if they're infringing yours? Or not sure if you might be able to get a patent on something? I can take at look at it.

Training

Want to learn to spot common IP issues? A free presentation is available for organizations having less than 10 people and an office in the Greater Toronto Area. Ask me about it! I also offer training on more advanced issues.

Privacy


Privacy isn't just about complying with the law, and shouldn't be something you pay attention to just before launching a new product or service. By baking privacy into your corporate culture, you'll be able to proudly show your customers, users and investors you're taking both the law and protecting people's personal information seriously. Don't they deserve that?
I have a CIPP/C certification from the IAPP and can help with matters such as:

Privacy Programs

Whether you just need help adjusting a privacy policy to let everyone know how you're handling their data for one product, or setting up a company-wide internal privacy structure from scratch, I can assist with that.

Reviews

Taking into account privacy considerations while building is a good idea. Let me help you include privacy in your development process and make your review or audit process less painful.

Education

You probably have great employees, but they might not know what to do when a privacy issue arises. I can teach them to help make sure they aren't a weak link in your privacy program.