Avoid the Legal Horrors with Julie King: Patent, Trademark, and Business Strategy

Julie King
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Your business has IP worth protecting. Your brand deal contract may be signing it away. Your AI tools may not be as confidential as you think. I'm Julie King, a patent, IP, & business attorney with 25+ years of experience, and I make intellectual property and business law actually interesting—with a rock-and-horror twist. Patents, trademarks, copyright, trade secrets, brand deals, and business law for small business owners and creators. No jargon. No condescension. Just the stuff you actually need to know. Avoid the legal horrors and keep rocking your IP. 💀🎸 Contact info at kingpatentlaw.

  1. Sep 17 ·  Video

    The Provisional Patent Mistake That Costs Inventors Later

    A thin, cheaply-filed provisional patent application can end up costing you far more than it saved, in narrower patent protection later. Here's a real example of how that happens. Check out this week's longer episode, "Provisional Patent Applications: What They Do and Don't Do, and What "Patent Pending" Really Means" for more details. Avoid the legal horrors and keep rocking your IP. 💀🎸 Subscribe for IP education for creators, podcasters, and small business owners. 📰 Sign up for the Avoid the Legal Horrors newsletter: https://kingpatentlaw.com/newsletter/ 📅 Ready to protect your brand and business? Book a consultation: https://kingpatentlaw.com/appointments/consultation/I help creators and small business owners with IP matters nationwide and with contracts in Illinois and Georgia. @kingpatentlaw on social media (NOT X) DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney. This content contains attorney advertising material. Julie King | King Patent Law, PLLC | 301 N Neil St Ste 400, Champaign IL 61820. Phone number and email address available at kingpatentlaw.com.

    The Provisional Patent Mistake That Costs Inventors Later

  2. Sep 16 ·  Video

    Patent Pending Doesn't Mean What You Think

    Filing a provisional patent application does not mean your invention is protected. Here's what "patent pending" actually means, and what it doesn't. Check out this week's longer episode, "Provisional Patent Applications: What They Do and Don't Do, and What "Patent Pending" Really Means" for more details. Avoid the legal horrors and keep rocking your IP. 💀🎸 Subscribe for IP education for creators, podcasters, and small business owners. 📰 Sign up for the Avoid the Legal Horrors newsletter: https://kingpatentlaw.com/newsletter/ 📅 Ready to protect your brand and business? Book a consultation: https://kingpatentlaw.com/appointments/consultation/I help creators and small business owners with IP matters nationwide and with contracts in Illinois and Georgia. @kingpatentlaw on social media (NOT X) DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney. This content contains attorney advertising material. Julie King | King Patent Law, PLLC | 301 N Neil St Ste 400, Champaign IL 61820. Phone number and email address available at kingpatentlaw.com.

    Patent Pending Doesn't Mean What You Think

  3. Sep 15 ·  Video

    Provisional Patent Applications: What They Do and Don't Do, and What "Patent Pending" Really Means

    "Patent pending" sounds like it comes with magical powers, protection while you develop, test, pitch investors, and bring your product to market. It's not that simple, and misunderstanding the difference can cost inventors real patent rights. This week I explain what a provisional patent application actually does, what "patent pending" actually means, and what can go wrong when a provisional isn't drafted to hold up, including a real-world example of a thin provisional narrowing the protection a client was ultimately able to get. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Intro: Why "patent pending" isn't what most people think 01:06 – What a provisional patent application actually gives you 02:17 – "Patent pending" as a notice, not a shield 02:36 – What investors actually want to see 03:23 – The 12-month window and why it's the riskiest period 05:08 – Why the USPTO won't catch a weak provisional for you 06:14 – The most important purpose of a provisional patent application06:37 – Real-world example: when a thin provisional costs you claims08:15 – Two questions to ask before you file 09:07 – Takeaway + how to work with Julie Avoid the legal horrors and keep rocking your IP. 💀🎸 Subscribe for IP education for creators, podcasters, and small business owners. 📰 Sign up for the Avoid the Legal Horrors newsletter: https://kingpatentlaw.com/newsletter/ 📅 Ready to protect your brand and business? Book a consultation: https://kingpatentlaw.com/appointments/consultation/I help creators and small business owners with IP matters nationwide and with contracts in Illinois and Georgia. @kingpatentlaw on social media (NOT X) DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney. This content contains attorney advertising material. Julie King | King Patent Law, PLLC | 301 N Neil St Ste 400, Champaign IL 61820. Phone number and email address available at kingpatentlaw.com.

    Provisional Patent Applications: What They Do and Don't Do, and What "Patent Pending" Really Means

  4. Sep 10 ·  Video

    Generic Trademarks: The Kiss of Death

    Aspirin. Escalator. Thermos. All former trademarks that became generic and lost protection. Podcasters run into a version of this constantly: naming a show exactly what it's about, then finding out that's the hardest kind of name to protect. Avoid the legal horrors and keep rocking your IP. 💀🎸 📰 Sign up for the Avoid the Legal Horrors newsletter: https://kingpatentlaw.com/newsletter/ 📅 Ready to protect your brand and business? Book a consultation: https://kingpatentlaw.com/appointments/consultation/I help creators and small business owners with IP matters nationwide and with contracts in Illinois and Georgia. @kingpatentlaw on social media (NOT X) DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney. This content contains attorney advertising material. Julie King | King Patent Law, PLLC | 301 N Neil St Ste 400, Champaign IL 61820. Phone number and email address available at kingpatentlaw.com.

    Generic Trademarks: The Kiss of Death

  5. Sep 9 ·  Video

    I Used AI for a Trademark Search. Here's What It Missed.

    A real example from a recent clearance search: an AI tool flagged visual similarities but missed marks that sound identical when spoken aloud. Here's why that gap matters under the likelihood of confusion standard, and why AI search results still need a human evaluating them. Under two minutes. Avoid the legal horrors and keep rocking your IP. 💀🎸 📰 Sign up for the Avoid the Legal Horrors newsletter: https://kingpatentlaw.com/newsletter/ 📅 Ready to protect your brand and business? Book a consultation: https://kingpatentlaw.com/appointments/consultation/I help creators and small business owners with IP matters nationwide and with contracts in Illinois. @kingpatentlaw on social media (NOT X) DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney. This content contains attorney advertising material. Julie King | King Patent Law, PLLC | 301 N Neil St Ste 400, Champaign IL 61820. Phone number and email address available at kingpatentlaw.com.

    I Used AI for a Trademark Search. Here's What It Missed.

  6. Sep 8 ·  Video

    Domain. Handle. LLC. Still Not Trademark Clearance.

    You bought the domain, registered the LLC, and grabbed the social handles. None of it tells you whether you're actually clear to use that name as a brand. Here's why, and what actually does. Under two minutes. Avoid the legal horrors and keep rocking your IP. 💀🎸 📰 Sign up for the Avoid the Legal Horrors newsletter: https://kingpatentlaw.com/newsletter/ 📅 Ready to protect your brand and business? Book a consultation: https://kingpatentlaw.com/appointments/consultation/I help creators and small business owners with IP matters nationwide and with contracts in Illinois and Georgia. @kingpatentlaw on social media (NOT X) DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney. This content contains attorney advertising material. Julie King | King Patent Law, PLLC | 301 N Neil St Ste 400, Champaign IL 61820. Phone number and email address available at kingpatentlaw.com.

    Domain. Handle. LLC. Still Not Trademark Clearance.

  7. Sep 8 ·  Video

    Why Your Google Search Isn't a Proper Trademark Search

    You searched Google. You checked the USPTO's free database for your exact name. Nothing came up, so you figured you were clear to use it. You might not be. The standard that actually governs whether a name is safe to use isn't "does an identical mark exist." It's likelihood of confusion, a broader test that covers marks that sound alike, marks in related product categories, and rights that never show up in any government database at all. In this episode, I walk through what a real trademark clearance search actually covers, why most DIY searches stop short of it, and where that gap tends to get expensive. In this episode:— The likelihood of confusion standard, and why it's broader than most people expect— What a real TESS search checks that a name-only search doesn't: phonetic equivalents, related goods categories, design codes, and pending applications— Common law trademark rights—enforceable rights that exist without any registration and won't appear in TESS— Other registrability problems: descriptive and generic marks, surnames, and the doctrine of foreign equivalents— A real example from my practice of what an AI search tool caught, and what it missed Full episode blog post + FAQ section: https://kingpatentlaw.com/why-your-google-search-isnt-a-trademark-search-and-what-a-real-one-actually-covers Timestamps:00:00 - The cease and desist the business owner never saw coming01:03 - The actual legal standard: likelihood of confusion02:01 - What a real TESS search checks for03:10 - Common law rights: the risk that's invisible in any database03:32 - Other registrability problems a search should catch04:28 - What AI search tools catch, and what they miss04:50 - Real-life example of what an AI search missed06:16 - Another real-life example of a client DIY search gone wrong and what I did to deal with it07:18 - If you must DIY Avoid the legal horrors and keep rocking your IP. 💀🎸 📰 Sign up for the Avoid the Legal Horrors newsletter: https://kingpatentlaw.com/newsletter/ 📅 Ready to protect your brand and business? Book a consultation: https://kingpatentlaw.com/appointments/consultation/I help creators and small business owners with IP matters nationwide and with contracts in Illinois and Georgia. @kingpatentlaw on social media (NOT X) DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney. This content contains attorney advertising material. Julie King | King Patent Law, PLLC | 301 N Neil St Ste 400, Champaign IL 61820. Phone number and email address available at kingpatentlaw.com.

    Why Your Google Search Isn't a Proper Trademark Search

  8. Sep 3 ·  Video

    Your Podcast Name Needs a Trademark Before You Launch

    The podcasting space is more crowded than it's ever been, and too many shows share nearly identical names. You can file a trademark application before you record a single episode — an intent-to-use application establishes your priority date before you've gone public. I just filed one for a new podcast I'm launching. Here's how it works and why it matters. Subscribe for IP and business content for podcasters and other creators and small businesses. Avoid the legal horrors and keep rocking your IP. 💀🎸 📰 Sign up for the Avoid the Legal Horrors newsletter: https://kingpatentlaw.com/newsletter/ 📅 Ready to protect your brand and business? Book a consultation: https://kingpatentlaw.com/appointments/consultation/I help creators and small business owners with IP matters nationwide and with contracts in Illinois and Georgia. @kingpatentlaw on social media (NOT X) DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not form an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney. This content contains attorney advertising material. Julie King | King Patent Law, PLLC | 301 N Neil St Ste 400, Champaign IL 61820. Phone number and email address available at kingpatentlaw.com.

    Your Podcast Name Needs a Trademark Before You Launch
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About

Your business has IP worth protecting. Your brand deal contract may be signing it away. Your AI tools may not be as confidential as you think. I'm Julie King, a patent, IP, & business attorney with 25+ years of experience, and I make intellectual property and business law actually interesting—with a rock-and-horror twist. Patents, trademarks, copyright, trade secrets, brand deals, and business law for small business owners and creators. No jargon. No condescension. Just the stuff you actually need to know. Avoid the legal horrors and keep rocking your IP. 💀🎸 Contact info at kingpatentlaw.

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