Robert Kost

Attorney Robert Kost works for Start-ups and 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.

University of New Hampshire School of Law

J.D. (1984)

1981 - 1984

Bowling Green State University

M.A. (1982) | Philosophy

1979 - 1982

Honors: Honors

Kalamazoo College

B.A. (1978) | Philosophy

1974 - 1978

Honors: Thesis Honors

Activities: Swimming and Diving

General Counsel

US Interactive

1995 - 2001

Assistant General Counsel

Prodigy Services Company (IBM)

1987 - 1995

Legal Analyst

US Congress

1984 - 1986

Office of Technology Assessment. Intellectual Property Law and Technology.

Clerk

Federal District Court

1981 - 1983

Using Open Source Software in Your Business

July, 2021

Should Your Business Apply for a Trademark?

June, 2021

When Should Your Business Register a Copyright?

April, 2021

Intellectual Property Rights in an Age of Electronics and Information

Office of Technology Assessment - US Congress

January, 1988

Science, Technology and the First Amendment

Office of Technology Assessment - US Congress

January, 1988

Blockchain in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

October 2019

see: https://youtu.be/SEyAuApZbnU

Intellectual Property Rights, Washington, DC

March 1988

Library of Congress

Digital Transformation, Pittsburgh

February 2019

Center for Digital Transformation

Systematic business transformation

Certified Business Architect

The Business Architecture Guild

2017

State Bar of Pennsylvania  # 327969

Member

Current

Allegheny County Bar Association Technology Committee

Member

Current

Maryland

Maryland Court of Appeals

1985-1994

Pennsylvania

Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

ID Number: 327969

Since 2019

• Free Consultation
• Credit Cards Accepted
  Fees are fixed price for both retainer and discrete services

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

Q. I want to start a business and have legal questions.

August 2, 2022

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.

July 5, 2022

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?

May 3, 2022

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.