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For Email Newsletters you can trust About the Smartfast Blog
The pace of business keeps you on the run. You need to make (SMART) decisions and take action quickly (FAST). Business attorney Jean Sifleet created the SMART FAST® blog to help. Whether you’re a start up company or an established company, SMART FAST® provides information that can help you make more informed business decisions. This is information – not legal advice.
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Tag Archives: Intellectual Property
Google Books – – What is “Fair Use” in the digital age?
Google Books (http://www.books.google.com) provides access to digitized copies of books. Google scans and indexes the books, making them searchable online. This greatly enhances access to information – from anywhere on the planet. Is this “copyright infringement” or “fair use” in … Continue reading
Posted in Business Practices, Copyright, Intellectual Property, Legal, Uncategorized
Tagged Copyright, Intellectual Property
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Sweat Equity
In the start up of a business, it’s common for some people to contribute money and others to contribute time and effort with “an understanding” that they will share in the future success of the business. Sometimes “equity earn-ins” are … Continue reading
Have you read — “The 12 Secrets of Highly Successful Women”?
In her new book, Gail McMeekin has pulled together some really practical advice — – into 12 essential steps. The book is inspiring – with the stories and experience of thirty successful women — and the patterns reinforced with her thirty years … Continue reading
Posted in Business Practices, Innovation, Legal, Uncategorized
Tagged Collaboration, Creativity, Entrepreneur, Intellectual Property
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Checklists – Think checklists are boring? Think again.
Or better yet, read The Checklist Manifesto by Boston surgeon Atul Gawande. It’s a great read! With compelling stories and diverse examples (from a broad range of occupations including surgical teams, airline pilots, complex construction projects with many subcontractors, restaurants … Continue reading
Posted in Business Practices, Uncategorized
Tagged checklist, Collaboration, Employees, Intellectual Property
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Beer — a new approach to resolving name disputes
Check out the article in the August 2011 ABA (American Bar Association) Journal concerning two competing micro brewers who decided to resolve their dispute over brewing a Belgian ale that they both named “Salvation.” http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/bottoms_up_litigation_down_microbrewers_forsake_litigation_opt_for_collabor/ Instead of using adversarial legal tactics and … Continue reading
Posted in Intellectual Property, Uncategorized
Tagged Beer, Collaboration, Intellectual Property, Trademark
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Convert “Pirates into Partners”
At a conference on Innovations in Learning, sponsored by Brandon Hall Research (See: www.brandon-hall.com), I learned about how new technologies are being used to create “communities” that engage users – and help to improve products and services and build businesses. … Continue reading
Posted in Business Practices, Business Systems, contracts, Copyright, Innovation, Intellectual Property, Legal, Social Media, The Cloud, Uncategorized, Web-based services
Tagged Amazon, Collaboration, Copyright, eBay, Fair Use, Harry Potter, Intellectual Property, Partners, Pirates, Star Wars
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Checklist for Contract Review
When you receive a contract from a prospective client or for a contractor role, you’ll want to read it and compare it with your checklist. Sometimes, the legal boilerplate is dense and difficult to read – so keep a checklist … Continue reading
Posted in Business Practices, contracts
Tagged checklist, Contractor, Independent Contractor, Intellectual Property
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Legal Issues in the “Cloud”
Web-based services are cost effective – and legally complicated. The “Cloud” refers to computing services performed in the Internet – and it is morphing and evolving every day. From simple email and remote backup services, to processing on-line transactions of all sorts, transmission … Continue reading
Key Business Value Drivers — Intangibles and Employees
“Value drivers” distinguish successful companies from their competitors. While it’s easy to be distracted by all the demands competing for the business owner’s time and attention, successful companies focus on the key value drivers – which are frequently “intangibles” and … Continue reading
Posted in Business Model Profitability, Business Practices, Business Systems, Employment, Innovation, Intellectual Property, Legal, Non compete, Uncategorized
Tagged Copyright, Employees, infrastructure, Intellectual Property, Professional Services, Restaurants, Retail, Technology, Value Drivers
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10 Examples of Failed Projects Resulting in Successful Products
Even failed projects can result in successful products if people can see potential applications and learn from the experience. For example, Post-it notes resulted from a failed glue project at 3M. Kevlar (bulletproof fibers) resulted from a failed project at … Continue reading
Posted in Business Practices, Innovation, Intellectual Property, Uncategorized
Tagged aspirin, Intellectual Property, ivory soap, Kevlar, levi's, microwave, mistakes, penicillin, Post-it, scotchgard, sweetners, velcro
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