After our family business handled manufacturing and engineering for a single company for nearly 20 years, the owners decided to move production to China. The silver lining to the situation is that I experienced firsthand the importance of IP.

As time progressed, I ended up hiring an IP attorney to secure a copyright for Part I of a trilogy I wrote. Later, I learned how to file for trademarks. I applied for "AlphaOmega" in the computer hardware industry but was denied because another company, Alpha Omega Solutions, held a trademark in a similar industry. I hired an attorney to dispute the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s decision, and ultimately did not win.

As someone who understands the importance of IP both as an engineer and as an employer, I now work with an IP attorney whenever I need to sign a contract.