Episode•September 28, 2023•21 min

Protect Your Business! How to Navigate Legal Landmines in Entrepreneurship | Ep. 267

Are you an entrepreneur looking to protect your business's intellectual property? Join Yasmine Salem Hamdan and Tiffany Grant on this episode as they discuss legal landmines that entrepreneurs need to avoid. They emphasize the importance of trademarks, copyrights, and getting consent for content use in your paid products. Plus, Yasmine provides important tips on conducting a trademark clearance search so you don't accidentally step on someone else's toes. Tune in now for essential advice on protecting your intellectual property! About Our Guest Yasmine Salem Hamdan is an inspiring business lawyer, brand consultant & entrepreneur who emphasizes the importance of legal protection for entrepreneurs. She is the founder of Coaches & Company, a digital destination that provides entrepreneurs with ready-to-use legal contract templates and other premium business tools. Drawing upon her extensive experience in representing, supporting, and consulting business owners, Yasmine founded Coaches & Company to help protect hard-working entrepreneurs from getting into sticky legal situations. Through her work, she motivates entrepreneurs to put their ideas and gifts out into the world confidently and securely. Connect with Yasmine Website: https://www.coachesandcompany.com/ref/moneytalkwitht/ Use code "moneytalk" to get $50 off any package Facebook: Coaches and Company Twitter: @coachesandcmpny Instagram: @coachesandcompany Connect with Tiffany Visit our website: https://moneytalkwitht.com Facebook: Money Talk With Tiff Twitter: @moneytalkwitht Instagram: @moneytalkwitht LinkedIn: Tiffany Grant This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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Key Takeaways

Treat all content as intellectual property assets, not just content

Creators should shift perspective: every blog post, podcast episode, email, and social post is a copyright asset with exclusive rights to publish, reproduce, license, and create derivative works

Protecting IP builds long-term business value and brand recognition over time

Always secure written agreements transferring ownership of created content

Without written contracts, contractors, designers, photographers, and agencies retain ownership of deliverables they create

Use written agreements for all professional relationships (clients, contractors, agencies, interviewees) to define terms and avoid ongoing negotiations

Get consent before using others' content, especially in paid products

Reach out for explicit consent when quoting, excerpting, or including exercises from other creators in courses or books

Podcast guest agreements can secure broad consent upfront for future uses like books or repurposed content

Conduct a trademark clearance search before committing to a business name

Availability on social media does not equal trademark availability; search the USPTO TESS database first

Failing to do a clearance search can lead to cease-and-desist letters, forced rebranding, or lawsuits after investing time and money

Personal names can be trademarked but may also be blocked

You can register your own name as a trademark, but if someone else already owns a similar mark in a related category, you may be prevented from using it commercially

Intro

Tiffany Grant interviews business lawyer and brand consultant Yasmine Salem Hamdan about the legal landmines entrepreneurs face when protecting intellectual property.

Yasmine Salem Hamdan is the founder of Coaches & Company, which provides entrepreneurs with ready-to-use legal contract templates and business tools. She helps business owners avoid legal pitfalls and protect their intellectual property.

Protect Your Business! How to Navigate Legal Landmines in Entrepreneurship | Ep. 267

Key Takeaways

Intro

– The Biggest Legal Landmine: Failing to Recognize IP Assets

– Protecting Copyright Assets and Ownership Transfer

– How Far Should Contracts Go? Clients, Contractors, and Guests

– Trademark Infringement: The Unintentional Landmine

– Can You Trademark Your Own Name?

Resources

Topics