Danbury Startup Attorneys & Lawyers

Key Takeaways

• Freedom to operate (FTO) ensures a product or process can be commercialized without infringing others' IP rights.
• An FTO analysis includes searching for active patents, expired IP rights, trademarks, and other legal limitations across relevant jurisdictions.
• FTO evaluations can mitigate legal and financial risks, especially in highly litigious or competitive industries.
• Legal opinions based on FTO searches can offer valuable protection if litigation occurs.
• Companies may still achieve FTO through licensing, cross-licensing, invalidity challenges, or product design modifications.
• Timing matters — early FTO analysis is recommended in high-risk markets or before major investments.
• Patent landscaping and ongoing IP monitoring support longer-term FTO.

What Is Freedom to Operate?

Freedom to operate, also known as FTO or right to use, means you have the

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What is a Portfolio Company?

A portfolio company is a term used to describe a company in which investors own equity in a company or buy out a company. The goal of the investor is to increase the value of the portfolio company and earn a return on their initial investment.

The investment could be in the form of private equity in established companies or venture capital in companies just starting out. One portfolio company usually forms part of a group of companies in the investor's full portfolio.

Who Invests in Portfolio Companies?

Portfolio companies are used by venture capital firms, private equity firms, and other financial investment firms. Some firms build a portfolio of companies that specialize in a specific sector, such as science or engineering. Others have a diverse mix of portfolios.

Private Equity Firms: Private equity is a type of financ

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Key Takeaways:

• The DMCA protects digital creators by outlining processes like takedown notices to address unauthorized content use.
• Safe harbor provisions shield service providers from liability if they meet specific criteria, such as promptly addressing copyright complaints.
• Rights holders must provide detailed information when filing DMCA takedown notices to ensure compliance.
• Platforms utilize technical protection measures, like content-matching technology, to enforce copyright rules.

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What Is Legal Entity?

A legal entity refers to a legally standing or lawful partnership. That partnership could be an association, a trust, a proprietorship, a corporation, or an individual. All such entities are legally able to be accountable for activities against the law, enter contracts or agreements, incur and pay back debts, be sued and sue other entities, and assume obligations. While legal entities are able to do many things, a legal entity cannot hold office or vote. 

Legal entities are frequently seen in scenarios and instances where an individual can take a class-action lawsuit against a company or the manufacturer that supplies the products for a company. Another scenario where the term "legal entity" applies is when every member of a band signs a contract for a record. The band is the legal entity, which is why the band members can ente

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