The BUSKLAW Newsletter

Since my retirement from in-house corporate law in 2014, I've written or co-written several articles about using plain-language in contracts for the Michigan Bar Journal . And a new article has recently appeared in the October 2017 issue. But those articles haven't been a lone endeavor in any sense; I've had several plain-language experts give me their input along the way: Plain English Scholar and WMU-Cooley Law School Distinguished Professor Emeritus Joe Kimble who invited me to write for the Journal to begin with and has since freely given me editorial advice that not only benefits the particular article du jour but also helps my legal writing generally. And a hat tip to Journal Editor Linda Novak who has put, editorially-speaking, the "frosting on the cake" before publication of these articles.  Michael Braem, J.D., Contract Manager of the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, who has co-authored some of the articles with me. Mich...

This post is directed to a small Michigan-based technology business with several employees who write code or produce other creative work. Start-up technology businesses may find this post especially relevant; established smaller technology firms may also find this useful. As always, the recommendations in this post should not be taken as legal advice and are simply general guidelines for your consideration. Here are what I consider basic legal protections that you – the astute entrepreneur - should have in place for your technology business from the day that you open the door: Protect Your Intellectual Property . Your creative output may be protected by U.S. patent, copyright, trademark, or trade secret law. Know the basics of these legal protections by reading this excellent article in the February, 2016 issue of the Michigan Bar Journal . Then, find a good intellectual property (I.P.) attorney to discuss the best cost-effective ways to protect your valuable I.P. assets....