On January 2, 2019, in an interview with StartupHR, our Managing Partner Erdem Mümtaz Hacıpaşaoğlu walked through what intellectual property practically means for founders — through the question “How can I protect my idea?”
The central thesis of the interview was clear: “an idea” is not, on its own, legally protectable; what is protected is the idea once it has been concretized — trademark, patent, copyright, trade secret and other IP tools can protect different layers of the same project.
IP tools
Trademark, patent, copyright, utility model, industrial design and trade secret — when each one comes into play was illustrated with concrete venture examples.
Practical steps for founders
How the founder should take steps such as trademark application, founders’ IP transfer, ownership of source code and data within the first six months was laid out.
Highlights from this interview
- IP tools: Trademark, patent, copyright, trade secret
- Steps: Trademark filing, founders’ IP transfer
- Practitioner view: What to do in the first six months
You can watch the interview on YouTube.
