Archive for the 'Trade Secrets' Category

Small business and the global warming debate

Published
by
Jim Blasingame
on December 17, 2008
in Copyrights, Economy: National and Global, Government, Human Resources, Innovation - Creativity, Inspirational and Motivational and Trade Secrets
. 0 Comments

Is global warming real? I don’t know, and there are so many different views on this by learned scientists that it’s difficult to know for sure. The most recent report I’ve seen said that the past two years of cooling has reversed the warming trend of the past 30 years.

Is there climate change? Absolutely. Is this a bad thing? Maybe, maybe not. Remember that global warming actually began 10,000 years ago when Kentucky was under 5,000 feet of ice, and there were mammoth footprints, not carbon footprints. I think reasonable people agree that human beings have benefited from this warming trend over the past 10 millennia.

Is human behavior having an adverse impact on the environment? Probably. If so, we should try to do something about that. But here is a point I haven’t heard anyone else bring up: How do we know that human efforts to reverse global warming won’t go too far and actually trigger global cooling? I don’t know about you, but I prefer to be warm.

In the policy debate, the enviro-zealots want to regulate carbon as a commodity, possibly list carbon dioxide, one-half of the photosynthesis equation, as a dangerous gas, and legislate reductions of carbon emissions back to levels prior to 1990. But U.S. GDP was just $6 trillion in 1990, while in 2008 it will be more than double that at approximately $13 trillion. Any carbon reduction plan has to combine alternative energy sources, conservation and carbon reduction over a period of time that allows for an orderly transition that doesn’t make American businesses uncompetitive against countries like China and India, which have no interest in curtailing their carbon emissions.

Recently on my small business radio program I discussed global warming and related topics with Dr. David Deming. He is a noted scientific expert and an adjunct scholar with the National Center for Policy Analysis, and I think you’ll learn a lot from what he had to say about this issue. Thanks for listening and also for your comments.

Small business owners, it’s time to get mad

Published
by
Jim Blasingame
on December 15, 2008
in Banking - Investors - Capital, Economy: National and Global, Entrepreneurship, Inspirational and Motivational, Presidential policies, Trade - Imports - Exports, Trade Secrets and e-Business
. 0 Comments

It is difficult to comprehend the level of incompetence of our federal government – at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, including both parties – regarding the way, over several decades, it contributed to setting the stage for our current economic nightmare. It’s just as difficult to imagine the level of greed of certain people and organizations on Wall Street and in the financial sectors that have contributed to our current financial nightmare.

And it’s difficult to see how companies like GM, Ford and Chrysler couldn’t affect necessary changes that would allow them to avoid the structural nightmare they’ve created for themselves and their stakeholders which, frankly, we now know includes every American.

Here on Main Street, we’re inheriting the whirlwind that has been created by this incompetence, greed and denial. And yes, to some extent, we have a level of responsibility to accept ourselves. But be that as it may, I think it’s time for Main Street – small business owners in particular – to take back our marketplace and our economy from people who have had the power, but not the judgment or values, to be so influential in our lives. And I think it’s time for small business owners to get mad.

Yes, anger is not usually a productive emotion, but in this case I think anger is appropriate and actually can be beneficial. Anger can help us never forget what this completely avoidable financial meltdown is going to cost us. And since I’m convinced that small businesses will lead the U.S., and, therefore, the world out of this recession, a little anger can help small business owners resolve to fight a little harder to survive, continue to add value to every transaction and take our leadership role in the marketplace more seriously in the future.

Recently on my small business radio program, The Small Business Advocate Show, I vented my feelings about this anger idea. It made me feel better and it might do the same for you if you listen to what I said. And be sure to let me know if you agree or not in the comments section.

Small business, the Obama administration and IP

Published
by
Jim Blasingame
on December 14, 2008
in Contracts, Copyrights, Government, Home-based business, Human Resources, Innovation - Creativity, Intellectual property, Legal, Online technologies, Patents, Presidential policies, Trade - Imports - Exports, Trade Secrets, Trademarks and Service Marks and e-Business
. 0 Comments

As we approach the second decade of the 21st century, it’s clear that the strength of the American economy will come more from our ability to create and sell intellectual property (IP) than the tangible things we were so known for in most of our history. And as globalization – efficiently transporting goods, services and financial assets around the world – continues apace, our IP is also being delivered away from American shores and, therefore, the protection of U.S. intellectual property laws.

Our trading partners around the world have their own IP laws that dictate how our property will be treated there, but unfortunately, those laws often don’t provide adequate protection and, frankly, our innovations can get ripped off. This is where our federal government comes in.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) is the primary organization that negotiates our business relationships with other countries, including IP issues, and the leadership of that cabinet level department is changing. Barack Obama has chosen Bill Richardson to head up his DOC and since small businesses are creating more and more IP, and doing more and more international trade, this appointment bears watching. Richardson has an impressive resume as a governor and diplomat, but time will tell about his effectiveness as the head of the DOC.

Someone who will be watching the Richardson DOC is Dr. Mark Esper, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Recently, Mike joined me on my small business radio program, The Small Business Advocate Show, to talk about IP, trade issues and the Richardson selection. Take a few minutes to meet Mike and listen to our conversation. And of course, comments are always welcome.

Small business intellectual property (IP)

Published
by
Jim Blasingame
on December 4, 2008
in Copyrights, Intellectual property, Patents, Trade Secrets and Trademarks and Service Marks
. 1 Comment

Intellectual property (IP) is one of the most important issues most small business owners need to become more knowledgeable about; especially with regard to their own IP.

Most of us think of IP as just patents, and since few of us are inventors, we think the IP world is for others. But ALL small businesses create IP on a regular basis. If you’ve developed a system for managing your customers, or a delivery scheme, both are good examples of small business intellectual property. You’re not likely to patent those, but you should recognize that they are your assets and protect them as another kind of IP, a trade secret. Think of the Colonel’s 11 herbs and spices, or the formula for Coke. After all these years, both are still trade secrets.

Copyright are another great example of small business IP. You create information every year that should be copyrighted by your company and protected.

Today we learned more about IP, especially copyrights, with David Dawsey, IP attorney from Gallagher & Dawsey Co., LPA (we used to call them patent attorneys) and outstanding member of my Brain Trust. I hope you ‘ll take a few minutes to listen to what David taught us about small business IP. If you’re leveraging intellectual property in your small business, be sure to leave a comment.