Shawn & Shannon’s Diary of One Podcast | Episode 5: Contracts

Welcome to Episode 5 of Shawn & Shannon’s Diary of One Podcast: Contracts.

In this episode, I dive into an important step in my journey—working on a contract with the Zahn Innovation Center for the 3D modeling and digital design of my prototype. Initially, I was ready to sign their proposed contractor’s agreement, but my legal team at Cooley LLP stepped in with critical advice. They pointed out a significant gap in the contract: it covered copyrights, but not intellectual property (IP) rights.

Why is this distinction so important? Copyrights protect specific works like designs, documents, or code, but intellectual property covers a broader spectrum, including inventions, concepts, and processes. My project, being patent-pending, required a contract that explicitly safeguarded all aspects of the intellectual property—not just the tangible outputs. Without this protection, my ideas and inventions could have been vulnerable.

In this episode, I share what I’m learning about navigating contracts in the creative and entrepreneurial space, especially the importance of protecting your IP when collaborating with third parties. This experience highlighted just how vital legal guidance is when taking a prototype from concept to reality.

For anyone on a similar path or curious about the process of invention, collaboration, and intellectual property, I hope you find this episode insightful. My sister Shannon would have been thrilled to see us reach the contract stage of one of our projects. I’m proud to share this journey with you in her honor.

Hit play to join me as I share what I’m learning along the way—one contract, one step closer to the dream.