No matter what obstacles pop up in life, entrepreneurs find a way to pivot and keep going. The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship recognizes that characteristic in their students. That is why they have continued offering their Small Business Executive Program throughout the pandemic.  

On Wednesday, April 21, 2021, I had the opportunity to present Intellectual Property 101 to the Small Business Executive Program Class IX in Jacksonville, Florida. The members of the class included an event planner, a human resources consultant, a few owners of software companies, the owner of a business development and technical services company, an indoor dog park business owner, a mortgage broker, the owner of a company that designs and manufactures fountains, and a commercial realtor, to name a few.  

I provided the class with an overview of the value of intellectual property assets, trademarks, trade dress, trade secrets, copyrights, and patents. And since the members had a wide range of knowledge and experience in the area of intellectual property law, the discussion during and after the presentation was quite fun.  

When Small Business Owners Get Together, Everyone Becomes a Teacher — and a Student

During the presentation on copyright ownership, an event planner shared an interesting experience. A former employee took photos of events while employed by a company. When they left to start a new business, they used those same photos to promote the new business — photos that legally belonged to the individual’s former employer. The owner of the event planning company took the former employee to court and was able to stop them from using the photos.

This experience helped educate the class on the importance of employment agreements. They should clearly explain that the company owns all intellectual property developed by the employee during employment and include non-compete clauses.  

Inspiring Entrepreneurial Leaders in Florida and Beyond

The Institute is part of the Florida State University College of Business, and provides executive level training to well-established small business owners. The mission of the Institute is to cultivate, train, and inspire entrepreneurial leaders through world-class executive education, applied training, public recognition, and leading-edge research.

Applications are being accepted for the Jacksonville SBEP Class X, which starts in August and runs through November 2021. If you are interested in learning more about the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship Small Business Executive Program in Jacksonville, go here.