Sarterus Rowe | Digital legal Overview of Essentials for Startups: IP, Terms of Service, Privacy, Contracts
In this fast-paced, 30-minute session designed for early-stage startups and founders, we’ll break down the essential legal concepts that can make or break your business. From intellectual property (IP) as valuable assets to crafting effective Terms of Service and Privacy Policies, this talk offers practical, accessible insights to help you build on solid legal ground.
We'll cover the basics of copyrights, trademarks, and patents; how DMCA and Section 230 impact your platform or content strategy; and the increasingly important issue of rights of publicity in the digital age. Learn how to protect your innovations, limit liability, and establish clear user agreements—before legal issues slow your growth. The session will conclude with a Q&A to address your specific concerns and scenarios. Ideal for founders, product leads, and developers looking to proactively manage legal risk and enhance startup value through smart IP strategy.
Sarterus Rowe (They/Them) is the founder of House of Art and Law and PDX Weird Events.
Sart teaches has taught as an adjunct professor in the areas of Privacy law, Ethics, Copyright and Information Policy. Sart is a former chair of the Board for Washington Lawyers for the Arts and still takes pro bono copyright clients. Sart has worked for Northwest Justice Project running LSNTAP.org, Creative Commons, Public Knowledge, the Washington State Access to Justice Board, Microsoft, Wizards of the Coast, and Disability Rights Washington. Sart holds a B.S. in Informatics and a B.A. in Political Science, both from the University of Washington and a J.D. for Seattle University, and was the winner of the 2009 WSBA IP Section Scholarship Award and a Google Public Policy Fellowship.