I-List Plus

Rush Nigut just posted an updated version of Mike Sansone's and Drew McLellan's I List. The I-List is a list of Iowa Bloggers which underscores the incredible power of Iowa blogs. More that any other state, Iowa bloggers continue to remain close knit, despite their constantly increasing numbers. This is a great group of highly influential entrepreneurs you really should know.

Adam Carroll
Andy Drish
Art Dinkin, CFP, CLU, ChFC
Association of Business & Industry
Babich, Goldman, Cashatt & Renzo
Barry Pace
BeatCanvas
Bill Grell
Blue Frog Arts
Brett Trout
Bridges Financial
Broom Wizards
C Wenger Group
Carpe Factum
Claire Celsi
Cloud Nine Diamonds
Compass Financial Services
Conference Calls Unlimited
ConverStations
Dave Dreeszen
Des Moines Families
Dickinson, Mackaman, Tyler & Hagen
DMWebLife
Do You Q?
Dr U Fantasy Football
DSM Buzz
Dwebware
Employer Ease
Eric Peterson
Focal Point Multimedia
George Davison
Gift Idea Help
Home Know-it-All
Insight Advertising & Marketing
Iowa Bed & Breakfast Association
Iowa Biz
J. Erik Potter
Jann Freed
Jennifer Jaskolka-Brown
Josh More
Kyle's Cove
Maiers Educational Services
McLellan Marketing Group
NCMIC Insurance
Purple Wren
Radio Iowa
REL Productions
Rental Metrics
Rita Perea Consulting
Roth & Company
RSM McGladrey
Ruby's Pub
Runners' Lounge
Rush Nigut
Ryan Rossinick
Simplifive
Snap! Creative Works
Studio 24 Design
Sullivan & Ward's Iowa Law Blog
Swing Station
The Members Group
The Mitchell Group
The Simple Dollar
The Yin Blog
Transition Capital Management
US Rodeo Supply
Victoria Herring
Wade Den Hartog
Wealth With Mortgage
When Words Matter
White Rabbit Group

I know Rush said not to just copy the list, so I did fix a link or two. If you do find any more additions or changes, be sure to let me know.

Brett Trout

I-list Iowa Blogga Nostra

All Your Law in One Convenient Package

Iowa Corporate attorney Rush Nigut is the brains behind the new Iowa Law Blog. Members of Rush's West Des Moines law firm Sullivan & Ward author posts on many areas of Iowa law, including:

* Utility law;
* Business Law;
* Trust and Estates;
* Trial and Mediation;
* Employment Law;
* Regulatory Compliance;
* Family Law; and
* Real Estate

Although the site looks great and is filled with fantastic content, I would advise everyone to boycott the blog. While the Iowa Law Blog indeed has a stable of great bloggers, including the award-winning blogger Rush Nigut, they are keeping one of their most skilled athletes on the bench. I am willing to bite the bullet, and deny myself access to this valuable content until Sullivan & Ward member Lawrence McLellan gets in the game and imparts some of his litigation prowess onto us in the form of at least one blog post. I invite you to do the same.

It is a gamble for sure, but knowing Larry, I am confident he will succumb to his adoring fans and grace us with a sheer stunner of a post. If, however, you feel you simply cannot wait, feel free to expedite the process by contacting Larry directly at lmclellan@sullivan-ward.com. Until then, we will just have to cross our collective fingers.

(Thanks for the photo Rush. BTW/Nice French Manicure)

Brett Trout

The Oldest Blog in Iowa

Robert Ambrogi has an interesting post which asks "Who Was the First Legal Blogger?" From the post, it appears Overlawyered is the first, dating back to July 1, 1999. While others are disputing the results, I have yet to see any actual evidence of a blawg post predating Overlawyered.

Mr. Ambrogi's post got me thinking. BlawgIT has been around since August 21, 2003., Based upon my limited research, this would seem to place it in the running for several "oldest" categories. The only way to find out, however, is to follow Robert Ambrogi's lead and ask if anyone in the blogosphere is aware of blog that can strip BlawgIT of the following titles:

Oldest Blawg in Iowa
Oldest Blog in Iowa
Oldest Patent Blog in the country
Oldest Intellectual Property Blog in the country

It is very possible that there is a blog out there that deserves the crown more that BlawgIT. If anyone is aware of any blog vying for one of these titles, let me know and I will check it out. If I determine the referenced blog is indeed older, I will provide a link to it and to you. Let the games begin!

Brett Trout

oldest blog oldest blawg iowa patent

SEMEE Showcases Iowa's Entrepreneurial Spirit

Last night in Des Moines, Adam Steen and Transition Capital Management packed the house for their Society for Entrepreneurial-Minded Executives (SEMEE) event. Some of the highlights included an update from Matt Owen of US Rodeo Supply on how his business has expanded beyond expectations through the use of SEMEE, Netsuite and blogging.

Mike Colwell, Executive Director of the Business Innovation Zone (BIZ) of Central Iowa gave a great presentation on how BIZ leverages public and private grants to help entrepreneurs get their ideas off the ground. Mike combines talent, experience, contacts and the huge resources at his disposal to transition big ideas into viable companies.

If you are an entrepreneurial minded individual, SEMEE is definitely the place to be.

Brett Trout

SEMEE Iowa entrepreneur

Blogga Nostra Soldier Getting Diggs

Blogga Nostra soldier Joe Kristan's blog post Meatheads for Tax Relief is garnering a lot of Diggs today. Check out the post and give Joe a Digg if you can. If you are not familiar with Digg, be sure to check out what is one of the fastest growing tools on the Internet.

Brett Trout

blogga nostra joe kristan iowa debates

Take Your Patents to Iowa!

Illinois legislators are considering throwing the state's gun manufacturers out on their respective ears. You can read the proposed bill here. The bill plays on the fear many people have of what they do not understand. The media fosters this fear by portraying the "evil looking" semi-automatic weapons Illinois seeks to ban as machine guns. You have not been able to buy a machine gun since the National Firearms Act of 1934 and even the NRA agrees that the general public should not be able to buy machine guns at their neighborhood gun store.

For more information on the difference between what you might think is an assault weapon and what the proposed ban actually covers, check out this YouTube video. Some of the affected Illinois manufacturers and cities include:

Les Baer Custom, Hillsdale
Armalite, Geneseo
D.S. Arms, Barrington
Rock River Arms, Colona
Springfield Armory, Geneseo
Lewis Machine and Tool, Milan

These are not Saturday Night Special manufacturers, these are high end manufacturers of guns very rarely associated with any crime. More importantly, these are strong businesses, offering great jobs with great pay and producing a mountain of intellectual property, including both patents and trademarks. The fact that these companies operate in a state that punishes good corporate citizenship should be enough to convince them to relocate to a state (like Iowa - just as an example) that appreciates their contribution to the community and the state.

Officials in the very gun manufacturer friendly community of Centerville, Iowa should jump on board and make a play for one of these great companies. Other great Iowa communities like Davenport already see the incredible opportunity Illinois has placed in their laps, and are not wasting any time taking advantage of this potential windfall on behalf of their constituencies.

Brett Trout

gun ban intellectual property Illinois Iowa

Law Day in Iowa

Gov. Chet Culver has declared today Law Day in Iowa. This year's "Liberty Under Law: Empowering Youth, Assuring Democracy," theme will focus on the needs of youths and the issues affecting them. Several organizations are sponsoring Law Day events, including the Iowa Supreme Court, which is presenting its Bringing the Courts to the Classroom Program here in Des Moines and over the Iowa Communications Network.

Hat tip to Adam Steen for the info.

Brett Trout

Iowa's A-List Bloggers Unite

Yesterday heralded the launch of IowaBiz.com, a daily blog written by the best bloggers in the state. Here they are:

* Rush Nigut - Business Law
* Adam Steen - Networking
* Brett Trout - Internet Law
* Brian Honnold - Insurance
* Drew McLellan - Marketing
* Joe Kristan - Finance
* Mike Sansone - Social Media
* Mitch Matthews - Life/Work Balance
* Shirley Poertner - Leadership
* Timothy Johnson - Project Management
* Tom Vander Well - Customer Service
* Victor Aspengren - Corporate Culture

If you think any of these topics do not apply to your business, then you REALLY need to read IowaBiz. IowaBiz will show you how your business is not about numbers, it is about community, about sharing, about starting the conversation with your customer. Build a better business and the customers, as well as the numbers, will come.

Tune in, read up and respond to the posts. Become part of the conversation. I look forward to meeting you there!

Brett Trout

IowaBiz blogging Iowa

Come to Iowa - We won't sue you

. . . or if we do, we will not get any money. At least according to the annual assessment of state liability systems conducted by Harris Interactive. The assessment ranked Iowa's legal climate No. 4 in the country (Delaware was #1). Rankings are based upon in-house general counsel and senior corporate litigators' assessment of how fair and balanced each state's court system is.

While this is great news for Iowa patent attorneys, my personal injury attorney buddies might not see things quite the same way. The study concludes that low ranking states like Illinois must legislate legal reform to attract new business and increase employment. You can read the whole survey here.

Thanks to Adam Steen for the pointer.

Iowa Tort Reform Harris Interactive


Brett Trout

Iowa Microsoft Case Settlement

Attorneys announced a settlement in the Iowa Microsoft case the day before Valentine's Day, but it was not until yesterday that they announced the details. Under the deal Judge Rosenberg preliminarily approved yesterday, consumers would receive up to $179.95 million: $16 for Windows or MS-DOS; $25 for Excel; $29 for Office; and $10 for Microsoft Word, Works and Home Essential software.

A hearing on final approval is scheduled for August 31, 2007. To receive payment, check the settlement website beginning April 25, 2007 and fill out and submit your Claim Form by December 14, 2007. Microsoft will donate half of all unclaimed proceeds to the Iowa Department of Education to provide computer hardware and software for Iowa classrooms. In Minnesota, this amounted to over $50 million for their schools.

The most amazing thing, something I did not predict, was that the payments will be made in cash. Although Roxanne Conlin is demanding $75 million in attorney fees, the fact that Microsoft will be paying cash indicates she must have done something right. Attorney fee awards in similar cases have run about 10% of the actual award. Plus, I believe even Faust might think $75 million a tad inequitable. Let's hope this is just a starting point for negotiation.

Brett Trout

Microsoft antitrust class action Iowa

Iowa Inventor Patent Database

The State Library of Iowa has just launched the Iowa Inventor Patent Database on its website. The Patent Database includes the patents of over 75,000 Iowa inventors, covering the years 1843 until 2006. I just did a vanity check of my patent and the search appears to be working flawlessly. Thanks to Martha for the heads up on this great Iowa project.

Brett Trout

inventors patent Iowa

Iowa Microsoft Case Settles

Microsoft and Iowa lawyer Roxanne Colin have announced a settlement in their seven year long, $453 million, class action lawsuit. Yesterday's settlement remains confidential pending court approval - slated for hearing on April 20, 2007. Both parties touted the benefits of the settlement terms to consumers. Plans are to publicly disclose the terms of the settlement this spring.

Although neither party is disclosing the settlement, a few specifics have been disclosed. The settlement covers customers who purchased Microsoft operating systems and programs like Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows XP, Word, Excel and Office from May 18, 1994, through June 30, 2006. Under the terms of the settlement, the Iowa Department of Education receives half of all unclaimed settlement proceeds to assist Iowa schools in purchasing computers and software.

Although what prompted the settlement is unknown, I have a sneaking suspicion that Judge Rosenberg's dismissal of Roxanne Conlin's "loss of the benefits of software innovation" claim was a key determinant in plaintiff's counsel adjusting her assessment of her best alternative to a negotiated agreement. While it is nice to have an extra Polk County courtroom and judge for the next six months, I will hold off on putting my down payment on a Bugatti Veyron until I actually see my end of the settlement. I wonder if the Bugatti dealership takes Microsoft vouchers.

Brett Trout

Microsoft lawsuit antitrust Des Moines Iowa settlement

Iowa Blogga Nostra

I had great meeting with the Des Moines Family of the Iowa Blogga Nostra today at Panera in West Des Moines. The Des Moines "Family" includes:






* Brett Trout (Intellectual Property)
* Rush Nigut (Corporate Law)
* Sandy Renshaw (Blog Design/Build)
* Drew McLellan (Marketing)
* Andy Brudtkuhl (Web Design)
* Mike Wagner (Branding)
* Tim Johnson (Project Management)
* Mark True and Cory Garrison (Stories)
* Sherry Borzo (Small Business)
* Tom Vander Well (Customer Service)
* Michael Libbie (Advertising)
* Mike Sansone (Blog Coach)
* Mitch Matthews (Personal Development)
* Brett Rogers (Strategy)
* The Steens (Venture Capital)
* Matt Owen (Cowboy Blogger)


Whether you are a blogger, blog reader or just have an interest in meeting some great minds (and me) in the Des Moines area, be sure to check back here a few days prior to each meeting for updated time and place information.


Brett Trout

Iowa Blogga Nostra Des Moines

Big brother in an Iowa town

Northwestern College in Orange City Iowa is now using patented technology to track down students illegally downloading copyrighted music from the internet. Information technology specialists at Northwestern have implemented eTelemetry’s Locate software product. Locate analyzes network packets to associate online activities with individual users in real time, and archives that information over time.

eTelemetry just received a patent (U.S. patent No. 7,133,916) on the Locate technology last month. The company also offers a product called Metron which tracks employee bandwidth usage, enabling companies to track how long employees surf the Internet or instant message their friends and family.

Before implementing any employee monitoring systems, companies should contact a business lawyer and employment lawyer to implement such systems in a way that avoids additional liability for the company.

Brett Trout

etelemetry northwestern iowa downloading

Des Moines Register Recognizes Top Bloggers

Wow. Check out the top story today in the Business Section of the Des Moines Register. The topic is how Des Moines area blogs are promoting companies in the eyes of their clients. Not surprisingly, two of the top Iowa bloggers mentioned, business lawyer Rush Nigut and blogging coach Mike Sansone, are good friends of mine.

In less than one year, Rush’s blog has made him the primary presence on Google for anyone searching for a business lawyer in Iowa. By combining online freebies, such as information on small business formation packages and human resource audits with entertaining articles on the latest business issues, Rush’s readership has gone through the roof and continues to grow.

Thanks in no small part to these two Des Moines business pioneers; this humble patent attorney also received a mention in the Des Moines Register article for being voted the sixth Best Law Blog in the World. Congratulations to Rush and Mike and thanks for all of your help. I could not have done it without you!

Brett Trout


Des Moines
Iowa
Rush Nigut
bloggers
Mike Sansone
Rush on Business

Iowa Inventors’ Group

Inventor extraordinaire Michael Hill is the founder of the Iowa Inventors' Group. The Group is a non-profit group of inventors looking to share ideas about inventions and entrepreneurship. The Iowa Inventors' Group's website has all kinds of valuable information, including helpful links for new and seasoned inventors alike. Whether it is getting a patent or marketing a product, the Iowa Inventor’s Group has the answers.

Created to "assist, disseminate and promote services, education and networking opportunities to independent inventors" the Iowa Inventors' Group meets every second Monday of the month at 7:oo p.m. Most of the meetings are in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but I will do what I can to bring one down to Des Moines. If you are interested in a Des Moines meeting, drop me a line and let me know what month would be best for you.

The Iowa Inventors’ Group is a fantastic opportunity to meet with other inventors and to share ideas about what works and what does not in getting your invention out of your head and into the marketplace. The newly updated website includes a blog , as well as an interesting article from Inventors’ Digest on the Ten Commandments of Invention (you have to like any article that speaks of patent lawyers with such high regard). If you are an inventor, or are even thinking about becoming one, make sure the next Iowa Inventors' Group meeting is on your calendar.

Brett Trout

Other Related Topics:
patent, inventor, invention, Iowa Inventors’ Group, patent lawyer