The law firm Fish & Richardson launched the second edition of the FISHstep program January 9th. FISHstep is designed to enable startup companies to protect their intellectual property early in their formation. A great opportunity for entrepreneurs, but also for professionals who are looking for ways to protect their innovative ideas. 

Program

FISHstep is designed to enable startup companies to protect their intellectual property early in their formation—often before the first round of seed funding—without diverting cash from their core business. Select startups will be invited to join the FISHstep program, whose benefits include the preparation and filing of a patent application with deferred billing until the company is funded, in exchange for 1% of the startup company’s equity.

Fish & Richardson

Since 1878, Fish & Richardson has been at the forefront of evolutionary changes in technology and patent law. They started as a small Boston law firm and now have a legal team of more than 400 attorneys and technology specialists in 12 offices across the world. In the past, they have represented technology luminaries such as Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and the Wright brothers when they were entrepreneurs with innovative ideas and a drive to succeed.

FISHstep history

The FISHstep program was created with the Fish & Richardson history and ingenuity in mind. After consulting with incubators, investors, and former startups on needs, they built this program to provide select startup companies with a means to protect their valuable intellectual property early in their formation. Fish & Richardson expects to run the program bi-annually.

Interested in applying?

Interested applicants can apply to the FISHstep program by completing the application that can be found here. There is no fee for applying. The application process will be open from January 9, 2015 to February 2, 2015. Applications will be evaluated by a Review Committee—a panel of startup experts, including angel investors, founders, business leaders, and intellectual property attorneys.  Select startups will be invited to join the FISHstep program.For further information, please contact FISHstep@fr.com, go online at www.fr.com/FISHstep, or follow the organization on Twitter @FISHstep.

Interested in learning  how you can translate your ideas into applicable innovations and protect your intellectual property? Please visit our website www.organizing4innovation.com or contact us via e-mail: info “at” organizing4innovation “dot” com.