Your LLC has default rules. They were not written for your business.

In this episode, I break down everything you need to know about operating agreements: the internal document that governs how your LLC runs, protects your partnerships, and determines what happens when things go sideways.

Whether you're a solo LLC owner (yes, you need this too) or you have business partners, this episode covers what an operating agreement is, what it must include, 8 of the most costly mistakes I see, and the questions I'm asked most often on this topic.

📋 Download the free operating agreement checklist at kingpatentlaw.com: A 5-Question Check on Your LLC Operating Agreement: Potent Potion or Poisonous Brew?Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction: The Case for Operating Agreements
(02:24) What Is an LLC Operating Agreement?
(05:05) Why Single-Member LLCs Need One Too
(07:34) What Your Operating Agreement Must Cover
(16:20) Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
(25:00) Practical Takeaways
(26:22) Frequently Asked Questions
(31:41) Wrap-Up

Avoid the legal horrors, and keep rocking your IP.💀🎸

🎙️ PODCAST: Avoid the Legal Horrors with Julie King: Patent, Trademark, and Business Strategy. Helping entrepreneurs, creators, and small business owners understand and use IP law as a business tool, without the jargon.

📅 Ready to protect your brand and business? Book a consultation at kingpatentlaw.com. I serve intellectual property clients nationwide and business and estate planning clients in Illinois.

📚 Full transcript and more resources at kingpatentlaw.com/blog

📱@kingpatentlaw on social media platforms (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. Contains attorney advertisement material. Julie King | King Patent Law, PLLC | 301 N Neil St Ste 400, Champaign IL 61820. Phone and email available at kingpatentlaw.com

What happens to your trademarks, patents, and copyrights when you die, and why your heirs probably have no idea what they're actually inheriting?

In Part 1 of a two-part series on IP legacy, patent and business attorney Julie King breaks down the IP succession crisis: what makes intellectual property different from every other asset in your estate, the three ownership scenarios that determine what happens to your IP when you're gone, and six concrete steps to protect everything you've built.

Plus: the assignment document requirement most estate attorneys don't know about, and the Prince estate as a half-billion-dollar cautionary tale.

Part 2 (later this season) covers the digital estate: what happens to your social media accounts, domain names, and online presence when you're gone.

Next week: operating agreements — the document that can save your business and your closest relationships.

Covered in this episode:
- Why trademarks are "living assets" that can be cancelled and claimed by competitors if maintenance lapses
- The patent maintenance fee clock that doesn't stop for probate
- What happens to your copyrights and who controls your creative legacy
- Why trade secrets are the fastest to die in a succession crisis
- The three ownership scenarios: personally owned, business-owned, or licensed to your LLC
- The USPTO assignment document step that can leave heirs unable to enforce inherited IP rights
- Six action items to protect your IP legacy starting today

TIMESTAMPS (approximate — adjust after recording):
00:00 — The haunted house: what your heirs actually inherit
01:42 — About this series + next week's topic
02:59 — IP is property, but not like other property
04:42 — Trademarks: the hungry asset
07:06 — Patents: the ticking clock
09:23 — Copyrights: the long tail
10:56 — Trade secrets: the fastest killer
12:23 — Who actually owns your IP right now?
13:05 — Scenario 1: you own it personally (and the assignment document most estate attorneys miss)
15:43 — Scenario 2: your business owns it
18:09 — Scenario 3: you own it personally and license it to your LLC
20:19 — Real-world example: Prince and a half-billion-dollar estate with no plan
21:42 — You don't have to be Prince to need a plan - a realistic hypothetical
23:56 — Six action items to protect your IP legacy

🎙️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: Spellbinding IP: Patent, Trademark, and Business Strategy. Helping entrepreneurs, creators, and small business owners understand and use IP law as a business tool, without the jargon.

📅 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.

📰 Sign up for the Spellbinding IP newsletter at kingpatentlaw.com

@kingpatentlaw on social media (NOT X)

Avoid the legal horrors and keep rocking your IP. 💀🎸

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 video 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.

Taylor Swift just filed to trademark her voice. Here's why that matters for every creator, and the 8 brand deal contract clauses you need to read before you sign anything.

In this episode, I walk through the eight contract clauses in brand deals that quietly strip creators of their rights, including the AI replica clause that Taylor Swift's legal team is working to address through trademark law. What each clause means, why it matters, and what you can do contractually right now.

Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction: Taylor Swift just applied to register her voice as a trademark
(02:52) Why this matters for every creator, and what you can do about it
(03:44) Clause 1: "All rights," "in perpetuity," "worldwide license"
(05:20) Clause 2: Work-for-hire, and what the Supreme Court said
(08:51) Clause 3: Assignment vs. licensing
(10:21) Clause 4: Your name, voice, and likeness
(11:01) Clause 5: The AI replica clause
(14:40) Clause 6: Exclusivity and non-compete language
(16:07) Clause 7: FTC disclosure—who gets sued when it goes wrong
(17:49) Clause 8: Indemnification
(10:23) Practical takeaway and the free checklist

📎 Free download: Brand Deal Red Flags Checklist at kingpatentlaw.com

Avoid the legal horrors and keep rocking your IP.🎸🕷

📄 Full transcript and more resources at ⁠⁠kingpatentlaw.com/blog⁠

📱@kingpatentlaw on social media platforms (NOT X)

🗓 Ready to protect your brand and business? Book a consultation at kingpatentlaw.com⁠. I serve intellectual property clients nationwide and business and estate planning clients in Illinois.

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. Contains attorney advertisement material. Julie King | King Patent Law, PLLC | 301 N Neil St Ste 400, Champaign IL 61820. Phone and email available at kingpatentlaw.com