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Choice of Business Entity for a Startup
In Canada business entities considered by entrepreneurs include: (1) sole proprietorships, (2) partnerships and limited partnerships and (3) corporations. Each of these entities has advantages as well as disadvantages. Choice of the entity is usually not irrevocable, and often an initial decision will be made with the understanding that, at the appropriate time, a different form of organization will be used.
Protection of Intellectual Property in a Startup
Aside from competence of management team, control of intellectual property is a major focus of investor scrutiny. The ability to identify and protect intellectual property directly reflects on investor confidence and the resulting access to capital available to technology start-up. Protection of intellectual property assets is available through the law of copyright, trade secrets, patents and trademarks.
U.S. Provisional Patent Applications For Start-ups
U.S. Provisional Patent Applications For Start-ups promotion starts at 10:00 Eastern Time on Monday, December 10, 2012 and ends at 16:00 Eastern Time on Friday, December 14, 2012. This promotion runs concurrently with the Canadian Trademark Applications For Start-ups promotion and the Canadian Start-up Legal Package promotion.
You got questions? We got answers.
1. What is the cost?
Canadian $2,000.00 for each U.S. provisional patent application.
2. How many U.S. provisional patent applications are included in this promotion?
As many as you have. For each invention you have.
3. What about United States Patent and Trademark Office's application filing fees?
You have to pay US$110.00 as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's provisional patent application filing fee for each patent application.
4. Who qualifies for the promotion?
(a) You must be a start-up. This term is loosely defined, so this should be an easy requirement to meet. However, the final decision whether or not your company is a start-up is made by Pinsky Law.
(b) You must be a company. That means that you must be incorporated in some province of Canada (or federally) in a way that we can verify via the web. Patent law is federal law, so your startup company and Pinsky Law don't have to be located in the same province. As such, our clients are located all over Canada and the world. If your start-up is not incorporated, you may use Canadian Start-up Legal Package to incorporate your start-up.
(c) You must contact us electronically via our website. The fee of $2,000.00 is the only fee Pinsky Law will charge for preparation and filing of each provisional U.S. patent application.
(d) You must retain Pinsky Law as your patent agent of record for prosecution of the full U.S. patent application which you have to file within twelve (12) months of the filing date of the U.S. provisional patent application we file on your behalf. (Remember, if you wish to obtain a valid U.S. patent you must file a full U.S. patent application within 12 months of the filing date of the provisional U.S. patent application we file on your behalf). Retainer agreement(s) retaining Pinsky Law as your patent agent and all payments pursuant to this promotion and the retainer agreement must be made during duration of this promotion between 10:00 Eastern Time on Monday, December 10, 2012 and 16:00 Eastern Time on Friday, December 14, 2012.
To be specific, the value of this offer is Canadian $1,500.00 for each U.S. provisional patent application - our regular charge for preparation of a U.S. provisional patent application is $3,500.00. The fee of $2,000.00 covers everything from retaining our law firm to filing of a U.S. provisional patent application, including the patent search, application drafting, and application filing. The fee does not cover any U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's filing fees. It also does not cover any costs after the filing of the U.S. provisional patent application (such as preparation of a U.S. full patent application and the like) which you have to file within twelve (12) months of the filing date of the U.S. provisional patent application we file on your behalf in order to obtain a valid U.S. patent.
5. Do existing clients qualify?
This proposal is for start-up companies that are new clients to Pinsky Law. This proposal is not for existing clients. But we will extend this offer to the existing clients as well. All you have to do is refer one new client to Pinsky Law, and we'll extend this offer to both of you.
6. Why are you doing this?
First, we want to help. Despite what some economists and government officials have said recently, most of us appreciate that we are entering year five of this recession. Second, based on a survey that Pinsky Law conducted, each start-up company has, on average, two inventions for which they would like to obtain patents. So, we are counting on your future business, as well as your referrals. We are being fair and straight with you. We will trust you to be fair and strait with us.
7. Why $2,000.00?
Because it is a random number.
8. Can Pinsky Law prepare and file a Canadian patent application(s) for us?
Yes, we can, but Canadian patent application(s) is/are not included in this promotion.
9. How to engage Pinsky Law to file my provisional patent applications?
Step One. If you wish to participate in U.S. Provisional Patent Applications for Start-ups promotion check the point #4 above to make sure that you and your company qualify for this promotion. Also, make sure you understand what is the U.S. provisional patent application. Then click the ADD TO CART button below to book an initial consultation to discuss specifics of your case. The cost of the initial consultation is $300.00 and is NOT included in the cost of this promotion. You will be taken to our order processing page, which will collect your contact information before transferring you to our secure payment processing gateway administered by PayPal. You can use your PayPal account to pay or your Visa, MasterCard, or American Express credit card. Once the transaction is completed you will receive an eMail receipt.
Step Two. Following the payment send to us an eMail and we will schedule a consultation in our office to discuss specifics of your application(s). Telephone and eMail consultations are available, for those outside of Toronto, after the payment is made.
10. Anything else we need to know?
Pinsky Law reserves the right to cancel and/or modify this offer at any time. If this offer is wildly popular, then we might not be able to keep up with the demand. But we think that it would be a good problem to have. If we have to cancel or modify this offer, then we will do so via a comment on our website. You can find the post at the following URL: http://www.pinskylaw.ca/News/patents_for_startups.htm.