A Blockchain Innovator’s Guide To IP Strategy, Protecting Innovation and Avoiding Infringement

Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) promise to be a disruptive force in many areas. As a result, we are seeing a great deal of investment in this technology by industry and investors. In 2016, venture capital firms invested $392 million in the maturing technology and closed 75 deals. Furthermore, alternative forms of startup capital, such as Initial Coin Offerings (ICO), have recently eclipsed venture funding. These innovators are safeguarding their innovation with legal mechanisms for protecting IP, patents being the most significant among them. It is critical that participants in the blockchain ecosystem have a basic understanding of IP protection, strategy, and risk. This Primer is intended to provide such a foundation.