The Entrepreneurial Strategy Series

How can you protect your ideas, brand, and business with intellectual property (IP)? In this episode of Entrepreneurial Strategy Series, Gearhart Law experts share practical advice for entrepreneurs, startup founders, small business owners, inventors, and creators. Learn how patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets protect different types of intellectual property—and why identifying and protecting your IP early is essential for business growth. The discussion covers IP ownership, licensing, confidentiality, infringement risks, and emerging intellectual property challenges involving artificial intelligence (AI). Key Takeaways: Why businesses should protect intellectual property before public disclosure or commercialization. How to identify valuable IP in your brand, technology, software, content, and business processes. How to choose the right protection: patents, trademarks, copyrights, or trade secrets. Why businesses should review IP ownership, contracts, confidentiality agreements, and infringement risks as they grow. How early advice from IP professionals can help prevent costly mistakes and uncover opportunities to leverage intellectual property. Whether you're launching a startup, developing an invention, building a brand, or scaling an established company, this episode offers actionable insights to help you protect your intellectual property and strengthen your competitive advantage. Learn more about intellectual property protection: Trademarks: https://LearnMoreAboutTrademarks.com Patents: https://LearnMoreAboutPatents.com Subscribe for more expert insights on entrepreneurship, intellectual property law, innovation, and business growth. Presented by the Entrepreneurial Strategy Series and Gearhart Law on August 27, 2026. This podcast is sponsored by Gearhart Law is a full-service intellectual property law firm specializing in patents, trademarks, and copyrights—helping inventors, entrepreneurs, and startups protect and grow their innovations worldwide. Get a FREE consultation: 908-273-0700 Learn more: https://gearhartlaw.com/ Follow the podcast for more episodes on startup strategy, intellectual property, AI law, and business growth. Chapters (00:00:00) - Introductions(00:02:01) - University-developed IP: who owns the ethics game?(00:06:56) - Moral rights and copyright nuances across countries(00:10:14) - Separating university IP from outside commercial use(00:14:34) - What is IP? The four branches explained(00:16:52) - Nonprofit AI bail reform project and IP ownership basics(00:23:55) - AI-generated work and copyright/patent protectability(00:27:18) - Protecting AI-assisted platforms via contracts and patents(00:31:21) - Structuring customer agreements and consultations(00:34:11) - Prompts, paraphrasing AI output, and patentability(00:36:18) - Filing IP under personal name vs company(00:37:35) - Trademark infringement and similar names(00:40:03) - VC NDAs and public disclosure risks(00:41:19) - Order of operations: lawyer vs design consultant for patents(00:44:24) - AI-generated logos and trademark protection(00:47:33) - International patent protection across countries(00:52:35) - International trademarks and copyrights across borders(00:56:52) - Old logo dispute with deceased designer's rights(01:04:20) - Parent company vs subsidiary IP ownership structuring(01:09:30) - Closing remarks and next session

AI governance, AI compliance, AI privacy, intellectual property, AI law, cybersecurity, AI ethics, AI regulation, ChatGPT, entrepreneurs, startups, business owners AI can help entrepreneurs build faster, work smarter, and compete more effectively—but are you putting your business, intellectual property, confidential information, or customers at risk every time you use it? In this episode, host David Postolski and guests Paul Roberts Esq, director at TransUnion, and Erica Watson, CEO of Data Strategy Advisors break down how entrepreneurs and growing companies can use artificial intelligence safely while navigating AI compliance, privacy laws, intellectual property, patents, copyrights, trade secrets, cybersecurity, AI bias, vendor contracts, data usage, and governance. They explain what businesses should know before putting confidential information into tools like ChatGPT or Claude, how AI-generated content and software can affect IP protection, what to look for when negotiating AI vendor agreements, why human oversight matters, and how entrepreneurs can balance the risks of AI with the need to remain competitive. If you're building, launching, or growing a business with AI, this conversation offers practical guidance for protecting your company while taking advantage of the technology. Our Speakers: Ericka Watson, CEO of Data Strategy Advisors: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericka-watson-data/ Paul Roberts, Esq., Director at TransUnion and creator of IP Genie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsoftwareip/ David D. Postolski, Esq., Senior Partner at Gearhart Law: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpostolski/ Key Takeaways: AI Governance Needs to Be Proactive Businesses should establish AI governance policies and risk controls before problems arise, rather than treating compliance as an afterthought. Be Careful About What You Put Into AI Tools Entrepreneurs and employees should think carefully before entering sensitive information into third-party AI platforms. This can include trade secrets, confidential business information, customer or employee data, personal information, unpublished inventions, source code, proprietary strategies, and client or contractual information. Companies should establish clear rules about what information may—and may not—be submitted to external AI systems. AI Creates New Intellectual Property Questions Businesses need to distinguish between using AI to help create or develop intellectual property and understanding what legal rights actually exist in AI-assisted outputs. Privacy Cannot Be an Afterthought Companies using AI and data-driven technologies need to consider privacy obligations from the beginning, including how personal and customer information is collected, processed, stored, and shared. Responsible AI Includes Ethics and Transparency AI governance should address more than legal compliance. Businesses should consider bias, discrimination, transparency, human oversight, and the potential consequences of AI-generated decisions and outputs. AI Regulation Is Evolving Rapidly AI regulation continues to develop in the United States and internationally. Entrepreneurs should avoid treating compliance as a one-time project and instead build systems that can adapt as laws, regulations, industry standards, and AI technologies evolve. ... Chapters (00:00:00) - Inventing AI: David Postolski's Talk(00:00:39) - February Essentials: Using AI Safely(00:01:19) - In the Elevator With Paul Geico(00:03:18) - Ericka Watson on Startup Talk(00:03:54) - Ericka Watson on Data Privacy and AI(00:05:53) - GDPR and AI Compliance(00:08:24) - What Do We Have to Do About Personal Data?(00:11:06) - When to Talk About AI Governance?(00:14:37) - The Need for a AI Governance Program(00:17:40) - Should Companies Care About Having an AI Governance Policy?(00:20:16) - The Onus of AI Governance(00:20:50) - What onus Should AI Developers Have on Their Companies?(00:24:30) - Should AI Tools Have Blanket Liability?(00:26:32) - Do You Need Patents in AI?(00:29:43) - Paul Feist on the Intellectual Property of AI(00:33:52) - Can AI Inaccurately Read copyrighted Materials?(00:38:01) - How to Protect Company Confidential Information Using AI-based Tools(00:46:17) - AI Bias: The Ethics of the Technology(00:49:32) - AI Bias, Transparency, Ethics(00:53:00) - What To Look For In An AI Contract(00:57:21) - Questions for the Authors(00:57:55) - Microsoft Grammarly: Could the Input be discoverable in a(01:02:28) - replay of the record recording(01:03:07) - Lawyers on AI in Fintech(01:08:03) - Should I Launch a Product With AI?(01:12:19) - Should I hire a Lawyer to Review my Code?(01:17:01) - A Conversation on AI Governance(01:20:01) - Summer Fun

Neurodivergent ADHD startup founders, learn diversity, inclusion, storytelling, and AI strategies with Velout, NarraTricks, & Gearhart Law for business growth. How can neurodivergent and diverse founders transform their lived experiences into an undeniable market advantage? In this episode of the Entrepreneurial Strategy Series, host David Postolski, Esq. (Gearhart Law) is joined by startup founders Theodora Chatzipavlidis (Velout) and Dr. Vijay Shankar Balakrishnan (NarraTricks) for an open, empowering conversation on neurodivergence, identity, and startup strategy. In this episode, we cover: Transforming ADHD and neurodivergent traits into entrepreneurial superpowers. Building authentic brand storytelling for underrepresented science and tech leaders. Daily execution tips: managing hyperfocus, calendar blocking, and avoiding burnout. Practical advice on pitch strategy, co-founder dynamics, and team building. How founders can responsibly integrate AI tools into their workflows. Our Speakers: Theodora Chatzipavlidis (Velout): https://velout.app/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodora-chatzipavlidis/ Dr. Vijay Shankar Balakrishnan (NarraTricks): https://www.narratricks.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijaysbj/ David Postolski, Esq. (Gearhart Law): https://gearhartlaw.com/team/david-postolski-esq/ Presented by the Entrepreneurial Strategy Series and Gearhart Law on July 30, 2026. This podcast is sponsored by Gearhart Law is a full-service intellectual property law firm specializing in patents, trademarks, and copyrights—helping inventors, entrepreneurs, and startups protect and grow their innovations worldwide. Get a FREE consultation: 908-273-0700 Learn more: https://gearhartlaw.com/ Follow the podcast for more episodes on startup strategy, intellectual property, AI law, and business growth. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Entrepreneurial Strategy Series(00:02:55) - Meet The Founders of 'Travel Startup'(00:04:59) - Neurodiversity in the Workplace(00:08:14) - The Bookmark: Neurodivergent(00:16:21) - Being Yourself(00:18:07) - The joy of traveling solo(00:23:01) - Vijay on His Neurodivergence(00:30:43) - In the Elevator With Neurodivergence(00:33:03) - Having neurodivergent experience in business(00:35:51) - "Being an entrepreneur comes with certain freedoms"(00:37:52) - How has neurodivergence helped you in building your business?(00:46:29) - Tom Wynn on ADHD and How to Manage It(00:51:58) - Tom's Advice on Working As A Woman(00:55:54) - Ideas for a Co-Founder(01:01:13) - How to survive as a solo founder in the startup world(01:05:07) - Final Thoughts(01:05:29) - A Final Thoughts(01:06:07) - Committing to Your Calendar(01:09:25) - How do you control your calendar(01:11:36) - Final Thoughts(01:13:08) - 3 Rules for Living a Happy Life(01:14:54) - AI in the Summer

Protect your innovation with expert advice on patent strategy, intellectual property, patent infringement, startup legal risks, and patent litigation prevention. Patent litigation doesn't begin in the courtroom—it begins with the decisions founders make long before they launch a product. In this Entrepreneurial Strategy Series episode, David Postolski, Esq., James Klobucar, Esq., and Jim Francis, Esq. of Gearhart Law explain how entrepreneurs can reduce legal risk, build stronger patent portfolios, avoid infringement claims, and protect valuable intellectual property. Learn when to file patents, how to enforce them, why continuation applications matter, how cease-and-desist letters should be handled, and what to do if someone accuses your company of patent infringement. Whether you're launching your first startup or managing a growing technology company, this practical discussion offers actionable strategies for protecting innovation while avoiding costly legal mistakes. Presented by the Entrepreneurial Strategy Series and Gearhart Law on June 18, 2026. This podcast is sponsored by Gearhart Law is a full-service intellectual property law firm specializing in patents, trademarks, and copyrights—helping inventors, entrepreneurs, and startups protect and grow their innovations worldwide. Get a FREE consultation: 908-273-0700 Learn more: https://gearhartlaw.com/ Follow the podcast for more episodes on startup strategy, intellectual property, AI law, and business growth. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Entrepreneurial Strategy: Protecting Your IP(00:01:36) - Ask The Lawyer: Intellectual Property Litigation(00:02:38) - Jim Francis(00:03:38) - Inventors Network: Best Practices(00:06:46) - patent enforcement, as a startup company(00:10:06) - 5 Rules for Patent Law Enforcement(00:18:50) - What are the Next Steps in Patent Litigation?(00:24:19) - Copyright Office: Sending Cease and Desist Letters(00:28:17) - Design patents vs. Utility Patents(00:32:10) - US Patent Search(00:37:38) - CES and DEFINITIVE ALLEGATIONS--(00:43:51) - Patent Litigation(00:50:24) - Inventors: Alternatives to Litigation(00:52:57) - Software Patent Litigation vs Physical Products(00:57:19) - Copyright 2012, Law360(00:59:52) - Jumping Off The Planet(01:00:10) - Intellectual Property Liability

In this eye-opening episode of Entrepreneurial Strategy Series, entrepreneurs and business leaders confront the growing impact of tariffs on small businesses, global supply chains, and profitability. Intellectual property attorney and senior partner at Gearhart Law, David Postolski, Esq. leads a powerful discussion with Sherrill Mosee, founder of MinkeeBlue & Forest Park AI and Ori Zohar, co-founder of Burlap and Barrel, as they share firsthand stories of production shutdowns, legal battles over tariffs, rising import costs, and creative strategies for surviving economic uncertainty. Whether you run an e-commerce brand, startup, or product-based business, this episode delivers practical insights on international manufacturing, supply chain resilience, pricing strategy, and how entrepreneurs can adapt and stay competitive in today’s tariff economy. In this podcast, you’ll learn: How tariffs are impacting small businesses and startups What entrepreneurs should know before manufacturing overseas Creative supply chain strategies for uncertain economic conditions How businesses are responding to rising import costs Why advocacy and policy engagement matter for entrepreneurs Steps companies are taking to remain profitable in a tariff economy Presented by the Entrepreneurial Strategy Series and Gearhart Law on April 30, 2026. This podcast is sponsored by Gearhart Law is a full-service intellectual property law firm specializing in patents, trademarks, and copyrights—helping inventors, entrepreneurs, and startups protect and grow their innovations worldwide. Get a FREE consultation: 908-273-0700 Learn more: https://gearhartlaw.com/ Follow the podcast for more episodes on startup strategy, intellectual property, AI law, and business growth.