Tag Archives: Antone Johnson

Copywrong: Brilliantly Disruptive Startups from Napster to Pinterest

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Antone Johnson • 0 Comments

The law simply hasn’t kept pace with the largest upheaval in the distribution and consumption of content in human history, which has taken place in less than two decades since the consumer Internet was born in 1994. To a large extent, members of the general public have little idea what copyright is, how it works, or how it applies online, if at all.… Continue Reading

Filed Under: digital media, entrepreneurship, law, social media, startups, Web 2.0

WSJ – Five Intellectual Property Mistakes Startups Should Avoid

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Antone Johnson • 0 Comments

IP ownership gets complicated thanks to the natural fluidity of startups as business enterprises: A developer may start out with a side project, bring some of that knowledge to bear on a consulting engagement, and ultimately found or join a related startup.… Continue Reading

Filed Under: entrepreneurship, law, startups

The Great Crowdfunding Train Wreck of 2013

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Antone Johnson • 6 Comments

What sort of business operators can we predict will be disproportionately drawn to using a funding mechanism that is designed from the ground up to leverage a large number of middle-class individual investors with minimal bargaining power under circumstances involving minimal disclosure, toothless corporate governance and little-to-no liability to shareholders?… Continue Reading

Filed Under: angel investing, law, public policy, startups, venture capital

Evaluating the Risks in Facebook’s IPO: Would You Invest?

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Antone Johnson • 1 Comment

Facebook is forthcoming about the challenges of mobile: No revenue currently generated from mobile advertising; unclear how much mobile use could be monetized; failure to solve this puzzle combined with a dramatic shift toward mobile usage could be a serious problem; and they don’t control the iOS and Android platforms. Frankly, if there were one thing that persuaded me not to invest in FB at current valuations, this would be it.… Continue Reading

Filed Under: digital media, law, liquidity events, social media, startups, Web 2.0

Avoiding “Janitorial” Legal Work for Startups

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Antone Johnson • 6 Comments

Guide to laying the legal foundations of a successful startup company by startup lawyer Antone Johnson, Founding Principal of Bottom Line Law Group… Continue Reading

Filed Under: law, startups

Convertible Note Financing 101 for Startups

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Antone Johnson • 5 Comments

A key advisory role of startup lawyers in my opinion is to level the playing field by bringing our own perspectives to bear, having gone through the twists and turns with many clients over the years. Knowledge is power.… Continue Reading

Filed Under: angel investing, law, startups, venture capital