Intellectual Property (IP) law is slow to evolve and struggles to keep pace with technological advancements.

To be effective, IP strategy needs to be responsive to rapidly changing technological and commercial environments. However, because IP law underpins most IP strategies, the currency and relevance of an IP strategy for AI based businesses which is relying on outmoded laws becomes questionable.

This article discusses ways to navigate the changing landscape of AI and IP strategy.

While a healthy brand may attract customers to an organisation, the stickiness that the organisation has with its customers often does not depend upon the generic brand, but upon the personal relationship that the customer has with individuals within that organisation.  So, how do you reconcile the appealing and diverse traits of individuals (recognising diversity is key to a healthy organisation) with an overarching and more “vanilla” corporate brand?

Traditional IP protection (patents, trade registrations etc) is often not the appropriate mechanism by which a business can maintain its competitive edge. A good IP strategy examines all possible barriers to entry, how they can influence business operations and where to formalise IP protection when these operations do not provide the desired security.

Businesses should challenge their assumptions about the perceived strength of barriers to entry to their competitors in a market so that they make decisions with a full knowledge of risks and costs.

For me it is all about advantage of providing your competitors of a “Cause to Pause”.

Whatever industry you are in, you need an IP advisor that understands the peculiarities of your industry, so they can advise on strategy and draft IP rights to maximise your opportunities. As an example of how this can work, lets look at Life Sciences.

Life Sciences whether HealthTech or Agri-Tech have peculiarities that affect how we handle their intangible assets and value creation compared to other industries such as electronics and engineering.

Here’s why you will have great ideas over the break. Enjoy!

Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it can take a diverse group of thinkers to develop a worthy invention. Often, the most fruitful collaboration is the combination of academic research with commercial design along with a direct line to market. However, complications often arise because there is a lack of clarity of ownership and obligations around the associated intellectual property. These pitfalls are often fatal to the commercialisation of the invention.

Sadly, most organisations exist, but do not evolve. And, if there is evolution, often it is not with purpose.

I have helped a number of organisations develop their strategic plans. While the organisations are quite diverse, there is a beautifully robust process I have developed which when followed results in a plan that is valuable and lasting – and almost unbelievably leaving all participants happy with the outcome.  And, with just 12 steps and in just two hours!

One of the more frequent observations I get from clients is that their patent attorney appears to be only concerned with meeting the legal and technical requirements. This is particularly so when drafting patent specifications where quite rightly by the attorney’s perspective the key information to be extracted is all about the invention itself. Yet, taking the time to understand more the business behind the invention can lead to patent drafting practices that benefit the client more and illustrate better the relevance of a patent to their goals.

My first step when facilitating strategies for organisations is develop with them a vision that they all agree upon.

At an early stage of my career I thought this to be a management speak mumbo-jumbo exercise. Now, I view this as essential. Pulling together a Board or Exec team with an agreed upon vision can iron out individual biases which could later on could derail progress. Once the vision has been thrashed out (and yes it is a painful exercise), then the strategic plan that enables the vision follows naturally and makes sense.

You can destroy patentability in a number of ways. Learn how not to.