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Robert Kost
Online, On-Demand Legal Services for Start-ups and Small Businesses
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Biography
Attorney Robert Kost works for technology start-ups and growing small businesses in a wide variety of areas (see website for comprehensive list).
Robert has decades of experience in corporate law and practice on both sides of the attorney-client relationship. He is adept in a broad range of law related to businesses, contracts, corporate formation, policy and intellectual property.
See what my firm, General Counsel Online does for business people. https://generalcounsel.online.
“My goal is to provide the kind of ongoing advice that will keep your business out of lawsuits and out of the courts.” - Robert Kost.
Practice Areas
- Business Law
- Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
- Intellectual Property
- Communications & Internet Law
- Internet Law, Media & Advertising, Telecommunications Law
- Trademarks
- Trademark Registration
Additional Practice Area
- Contract Negotiation, Business Formation, Licensing, Leases, Shareholder Agreeme
Fees
- Free Consultation
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Credit Cards Accepted
Fees are fixed price for both retainer and discrete services
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
- Maryland
- Maryland Court of Appeals
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- Pennsylvania
- Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
- ID Number: 327969
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Languages
- German: Spoken, Written
Professional Experience
- General Counsel
- US Interactive
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- Assistant General Counsel
- Prodigy Services Company (IBM)
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- Legal Analyst
- US Congress
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- Office of Technology Assessment. Intellectual Property Law and Technology.
- Clerk
- Federal District Court
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Education
- University of New Hampshire School of Law
- J.D. (1984)
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- Bowling Green State University
- M.A. (1982) | Philosophy
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- Honors: Honors
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- Kalamazoo College
- B.A. (1978) | Philosophy
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- Honors: Thesis Honors
- Activities: Swimming and Diving
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Professional Associations
- State Bar of Pennsylvania  # 327969
- Member
- Current
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- Allegheny County Bar Association Technology Committee
- Member
- Current
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Publications
Articles & Publications
- Intellectual Property Rights in an Age of Electronics and Information
- Office of Technology Assessment - US Congress
- Science, Technology and the First Amendment
- Office of Technology Assessment - US Congress
Speaking Engagements
- Blockchain in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- see: https://youtu.be/SEyAuApZbnU
- Intellectual Property Rights, Washington, DC
- Library of Congress
- Digital Transformation, Pittsburgh
- Center for Digital Transformation
- Systematic business transformation
Certifications
- Certified Business Architect
- The Business Architecture Guild
Websites & Blogs
- Website
- General Counsel Online
- Blog
- Lawgorithms
- Legal Strategy Roadmap Part 4: Build Competitive Advantage
February 9, 2023 - Legal Strategy Roadmap Part 3: Protecting Revenue & Profit
January 26, 2023 - Legal Strategy Roadmap Part 2: Setting the Direction
January 12, 2023
Legal Answers
43 Questions Answered
- Q. I want to start a business and have legal questions.
- A: One response is "just do it." But a better answer would be to form a business entity, such as a corporation or a limited liability company, to protect your personal assets from exposure to business liability.
- Q. I have a specific question about copyright and trademark registration for a game studio.More details below.
- A: Hello Andreas, From your description, it sounds as though Trademark Law is more relevant to your objectives. Copyright is concerned with what might be called "content" -- for example, your website or the games the studio might create. Trademark law is specific to each country. So, registering in the US with the US Patent & Trademark Office confers only US rights. However, there is a European Union Trademark that protects your mark in all member countries of the EU. Although a US trademark is enforceable so long as it's in use, the initial period for an EU trademark ends in 10 years and it may be subsequently renewed. Costs of Trademark registration vary widely. General Counsel Online provides a fixed price offering at https://generalcounsel.online. I hope this helps, Andreas.
- Q. I am a wellness consulting company and I would like to know what are the basic terms outlined in a business contract?
- A: You can begin to understand the basic components of a contract here: https://www.contractstandards.com/public#contracts Choosing among clauses, authoring the right clauses, and assembling a contract that makes sense for you is the job of an attorney. It is a skill and an art, and is based on a lot of hard-earned knowledge. It is a cost of doing business and I know of no pro bono resources.
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