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This can be dangerous for company founders, depending on how exactly it plays out. I know of at least one case where a company based on its founders' research w
by mjn 13y ago
This can be dangerous for company founders, depending on how exactly it plays out. I know of at least one case where a company based on its founders' research went bust, its patents ended up sold off in bankruptcy liquidation, and the founders themselves now have a potential patent problem if they were to use their own inventions in any future endeavors. Whereas in a normal case where your startup fails, it doesn't take your ideas down with it, and you're free to try them again elsewhere.
- amirmc 13y ago> "Whereas in a normal case where your startup fails, it doesn't take your ideas down with it, and you're free to try them again elsewhere." That depends highly on your definition of 'normal'. In non-software startups, there's a combination of patent, trade-secret and (probably) copyright to balance. Part of the value you are creating is in the innovative step/technical advance, which may make sense to write down, defend and assign to the company. For some companies, having the patent is a critical piece not only to demonstrate an innovative step [1] but also for investors who are putting money into the company because of that innovative step (that they know it's part of the company and you can't simply make off with it). It's a tangible asset so yes, it can be sold. [1] assuming that the patent system is doing it's job properly (which many would argue it's not)