The Anchor Plate : Intellectual Property Lawyers & Attorneys : BrickHouse Law Group : Open-Price Lawyering, Hourly Billing : St. Louis, Missouri

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"In the end, it's the beginning that counts."

Isn't that so true?  It applies in so many settings.  For example, it's a wonderful trademark tag line for the elementary school my kids attend.  It just resonates with parents making that all-important choice of a first school for their children.

It applies in the business world, too.  My friend Julie Taylor had a great blog post the other day about enjoying the "start" of your start-up.  She's a terrific business writer who regularly works with start-up companies, and she's absolutely right. 

And it really, really applies when you're dealing with Intellectual Property.  If you don't concentrate on the beginning, you're not going to like the end.

For example, when two or three people begin talking about their next great idea, if they don't start with a good Nondisclosure Agreement and an agreement assigning ownership of any intellectual property they create, their greatest potential is for very expensive litigation down the road.

It's very important in the entertainment industry, too.  Check out any CD -- you'll notice a copyright claim by the record company.  But before the record company can claim that copyright, it has to get everyone else's rights along the way up.  And if those rights aren't correctly captured when the songs are first recorded, the musician just might have a good lawsuit and the record company may find itself doling out profits it never thought it would have to share.

So if  you're thinking about starting a company, producing a CD, or releasing a movie, make sure you've done your due dilligence at the start--or you may not like the ending.