Two IPs In A Pod

Two IPs in Pod is back for Season 6! Joining Lee and Gwilym is our biggest cohort yet, John Coldham, William Burrell, Emily Weal and Matthew Ridley join the podcast to talk all about Designs. On the first Two IPs episode about Designs they talk about what Designs are, how, why and when you should protect your designs, Brexit impacts and... wheelie Gherkin suitcases.

The Intellectual Property Awareness Network is committed to championing the importance and understanding of intellectual property. Current Chair John Ogier, Director and Convenor of the Education Group, Ruth Soetendorp and former CIPA president Stephen Jones join Lee and Gwilym to talk about the work of IPAN, its 30th anniversary and the importance of businesses and governments being aware of the value of IP.  For more information on IPAN take a look at their website. 

What happened to the rabbit that ate too many different toasties? What has intellectual property got to do with the protection of our immune systems? These questions and more are answered by Lee, Gwilym, and their guest, Doug Brown, Chief Executive of the British Society of Immunologists. Apologies for the occasional drops outs in sound (caused by a poor internet connection). 

It's the third and final session of the Pubcast! We're chatting to the folks at the top of the patent profession and those just entering it, in the final episode from our epic five-hour recording session in The Old Mitre, Hatton Garden, Holborn. Lee and Gwilym are joined by CIPA President Alasdair Poore, Vice-President Daniel Chew, Immediate Past President Alicia Instone and Lindsay Pike, Elliot Krishek and Ellie Lee Chiarella from the CIPA Informals - our student body.  CIPA members interested in joining a committee should contact Deputy Chief Executive Neil Lampert at neil@cipa.org.uk.

It's session two of the Two IPs in a Pod Pubcast! Coming to you from Ye Old Mitre in London, Lee and Gwilym are joined by patent attorney Iain Russell and music copyright specialist Nick Kounoupias. Together they discuss musical inventions, high-profile music copyright claims and how IP has changed the music industry. For more information on Iain and Nick, take a look at their websites linked.

Its session one of the Two IPs in a Pod Pubcast! Coming to you from Ye Old Mitre in London, Lee and Gwilym are joined by Queen Mary lecturers, Duncan Matthews and Noam Shemtov. In a jam packed episode, Noam and Duncan talk about AI and IP, how the academic side of IP effects policy, the TRIPPS waiver and more!For more information on Noam and Duncan, take a look at their QMUL profiles.

LawCare exists to support and promote mental wellbeing across the legal community in the UK. Chief Executive Elizabeth Rimmer joins Lee and Gwilym to talk all about the support LawCare offers, the mental challenges in the legal profession, why looking after mental health is better for business and plans for their 25th anniversary.For more information on LawCare and to access their services you can visit their website here.

What are the biggest challenges facing British brands? John Noble from the British Brands Group joins Lee and Gwilym to talk all about the work of British Brands Group, how he came to work there (after spending a year riding a Harley Davidson around the USA), the issues of parasitic packaging and why IP is so important to brands. To find out more about British Brands Group take a look at their website.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented the world with a unique set of challenges. Lee and Gwilym are joined by co-authors of  Unprecedented The Rapid Innovation Response to COVID-19 and the Role of Intellectual Property Jennifer Brant and Mark Schultz to discuss their report. They talk about how the IP sector responded to the pandemic, the proposed patent waiver for COVID-19 vaccines and the fundamental role IP played in the rapid  development and distribution of vaccines.

How does IP Litigation work? This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by barrister and partner at Gunner Cooke Akash Sachdeva. Akash talks to Lee and Gwilym about the ins and outs of IP Litigation, his early career, diversity in the law profession and the stand out cases he has worked on. 

The world of interactive entertainment has changed drastically over the years, from table top Pacman and arcade games to online and interactive games with bigger budgets than a Hollywood blockbuster! With these developments and innovations the industry is not immune to Intellectual Property challenges. Dr Gaetano Dimita, senior lecturer in International Intellectual Property Law at Queen Mary University, joins Lee and Gwilym to talk all about IP in the gaming industry, the metaverse and new gaming innovations.   

What are the exciting and pressing issues in the world of Life Sciences and IP? Dev Crease and chair of CIPA's Life Sciences Committee Simon Wright  join this weeks episode to talk all about the latest Life Sciences updates including CIPA's lobbying work, the vaccine patent waiver and the Nagoya protocol. 

The start of the UPC is almost upon us... or is it? CIPA's Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court experts Caelia Bryn-Jacobsen and Leythem Wall join Lee and Gwilym to talk all about the upcoming changes, what it means for UK attorneys and how they can continue to be involved with filing in Europe. Click here to read CIPA's latest article on UPC representation for UK qualified attorneys. 

Who are Patent Seekers? Co-founder Tim Parry joins Two IPs in a Pod to talk about the services the company can provide to IP firms and inventors, the benefits of performing a patent search  and how the business has grown. You can find more information about Patent Seekers here. 

CIPA strives to continuously improve diversity and inclusion within the IP professions.  The institute published it's commitment here, however, this is only the beginning and there is always more work to be done. This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by chair of the council D&I committee Greg Iceton and chair of the staff D&I committee Kereiss Isles to talk about the work of their committees, why they were established and their plans for 2022. For more information on CIPA and D&I please take a look at the CIPA website here, or you can email the staff D&I committee: Diversity@cipa.org.uk

Two IPs is back! We're kicking off Season 5 with Sean Bicknell and David Gillies from Friend Partnership talking about the Government's Patent Box tax relief scheme. How does the Patent Box work and how can it benefit innovative businesses? Sean and David talk to Lee and Gwilym all about the scheme, how businesses can apply and the benefits they can gain from it. More information on the Patent Box here.

It's our 50th episode and to mark this milestone Lee and Gwilym speak with Rachel Moriarty, Head of Prize Design at the Earthshot Prize. Run by Prince William's Royal Foundation, this new global initiative awards £1million to five winners each year for their contributions to environmentalism. Joining them is patent attorney Jerry Bridge-Butler who organised a team from CIPA to provide the finalists with intellectual property advice.

The Mercer Review has been published! The Mercer Review is a report on a consultation undertaken by the CIPA on the education, training and assessment arrangements for entry into the UK patent profession. This week Lee and Gwilym sit down with key contributors to the review, Chris Mercer, Vicki Salmon and Lindsay Pike to discuss why the review was launched, the main findings and recommendations and the impact the review will have for all stakeholders involved in patent attorney education, training and assessment. 

Its the 85th anniversary of The Benevolent Association! To celebrate current secretary Samantha Funnell and Dr Duncan Needham the director of the Centre for Financial History at the University of Cambridge sit down with Lee and Gwilym to talk about the history of the benevolent fund, why it was created and the work it has done over the decades. 

How can IP help encourage and incentivise sustainable innovation? Elisabeth Eppinger and Frank Tietze from the International Science Council join Lee and Gwilym to talk about their project which examines the role of IP in sustainable innovations and brings climate change solutions to market using global interdisciplinary skills.  

Covid-19 has had a huge impact on mental health. June Dent from mental health charity Jonathan's Voice tells Lee and Gwilym how co-workers and leaders alike can help those who may be struggling.

You don't need to like cats for this blog, but it does help. This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by guests über-blog IPKat! Annsley Ward and Rose Hughes talk about how to write engaging content, why its important to keep up to date with the biggest stories in IP and future plans for the blog.If you haven't read the blog yet you can take a look here: https://ipkitten.blogspot.com/

It's Associations Week! Lee and Gwilym sit down with CIPA staff members Frances Bleach, Dwaine Hamilton, Amy Williams and Iain Ross to talk about how CIPA has grown as a Membership Association, the changes they've seen throughout their time here and what drew them to work within a membership organisation.

Two IPs in a Pod brings you it's first ever Pubcast! It's a long awaited reunion for Lee and Gwilym as they record their first ever in-person episode alongside CIPA President Alicia Instone, former President and Chair of Congress Committee Julia Florence and Head of Membership Dwaine Hamilton. Over a beer or two they give a roundup of CIPA Congress, hopes for IP in future UK innovation strategy and why now is the best time to volunteer for CIPA. 

Gwilym's gone AWOL. So Producer Fran joins Lee in conversation with institute staff to discuss how CIPA has emerged from lockdown stronger than ever. Hear how staff met the challenge posed by COVID and innovated during the pandemic, bringing new events, and services to members and rebranding the institute.

What are the do's and don'ts of business development and marketing for IP firms? Bernard Savage from business development agency Size 10 1/2 Boots talks to Lee and Gwilym about how to spot business development opportunities, creating engaging content that reaches a wider audience and taking a different approach to promoting IP to businesses.  For more information take a look at the Size 10 1/2 Boots website: https://tenandahalf.co.uk/

83% of food that is thrown away in Europe is still edible, Solveiga Pakštaitė and Mimica are helping to tackle this problem. Solveiga and her patent attorney Barbara Cookson talk to Lee and Gwilym about the evolution of the Mimica Gel from its inclusive roots, through to the early patenting journey - including trying to write her own patent application - and how the invention is preventing food waste and encouraging sustainability.For more information on Mimica, check out their website: https://www.mimicalab.com/

Steve Rowan spent 28 years at the UK Intellectual Property Office before becoming a Vice-President of the European Patent Office, based at The Hague. Lee and Gwilym chat with Steve about the new virtual world, including the big switch to video conferencing and what the future might hold.

Two peas or not Two peas, that is the question... Or is it? Luke McDonagh, scholar of Intellectual Property Law at the London School of Economics, joins Lee and Gwilym to talk about his new book on theatre and copyright, beginning in Elizabethan London and taking us through to present day litigation. Luke talks about how copyright of theatrical work emerged, the intersection of law and theatre and how theatre changed it's response to copyright law over the centuries.Luke's book, Performing Copyright; Law, Theatre and Authorship is available now: https://www.bloomsburyprofessional.com/uk/performing-copyright-9781509927043/

How do you stay up to date with all the latest news from the world of IP? By reading the blog IP Draughts of course! This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by Mark Anderson and AnnMarie Humphries to talk about why they started IP draughts, the work of Anderson Law LLP and all the latest IP news. 

Robots are sexy... and reasonable! Ryan Abbott, author of "The Reasonable Robot", professor of Law at the University of Surrey, physician scientist and acupuncturist, joins Lee and Gwilym for our second installment of our Artificial Intelligence series. Ryan talks about the debates surrounding AI being listed as the inventor on patent applications (DABUS), the future of AI in IP and the wider legal system.You can find the link to Ryan's book "The Reasonable Robot" here: https://ryanabbott.com/publications/

There's a rogue pea in the pod! Past CIPA President and head of IP Inclusive Andrea Brewster is our guest host for Mental Health Awareness Week. Lee and Andrea are joined by Mental Health consultant to Jonathan's Voice, June Dent and Tim Fray from Loven Patents and Trademarks to talk about mental health in  IP. They talk about the work of Jonathan's Voice in helping leaders look after their team's mental health, what we get right or wrong when addressing wellbeing in the workplace, and the importance of feeling valued and listened to. If you are struggling with your mental health here are some useful contacts:informalswelfare@gmail.comJonathan's Voice (jonathansvoice.org.uk)Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Legal… | LawCare, 0800 279 6888Samaritans | Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy | Here to listen 116 123

What is the relationship between rights and recipes? Laura Clews from Mathys and Squire takes Lee and Gwilym through the world of food and IP, from warring caterpillar cakes through to protecting trade secrets, recipe hacking and patenting innovation within the food industry.

Tim Moss is back! This time he tells Lee and Gwilym about the Intellectual Property Office's new Digital Strategy and how the IPO has been managing throughout the pandemic. 

It all started with a dart board... Sport is a huge driver of innovation. You have to continuously innovate to perform better than your competitors and even simple innovation can significantly enhance an athletes performance. Matthew Fletcher and Anne-Marie Conn from Abel and Imray take Lee and Gwilym through the importance of protecting these innovations, litigation and how patenting helps companies stay competitive. 

How does the patent system and the development of vaccines sit together? This week on Two IPs in A Pod, Anton Hutter of  Venner Shipley and Frank Tietze of Cambridge University join hosts Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts to chat through their views on COVID 19, vaccines and the IP industry. 

Can somebody please help Gwilym find out what a meme is?! This week we're joined by Rebecca O'Kelly-Gillard to chat about the role of IP within Social Media. Copyright still exists within social media, but how do you protect your rights and enforce them on platforms designed to share content? Rebecca takes Lee and Gwilym through the role of your Digital Footprint, cross platform content rights, common social media myths, and advice for small businesses selling through social media.

Is Norman a good name for a robot? This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by IBM's Anita Shaw, Manny Schecter and Rashik Parmar to take an exciting dive into the world of AI. Starting with the question, what is AI, through to the future effects it could have on the world of work, innovation and patentability. 

Today is International Women in STEM Day. To celebrate, Lee and Gwilym are sitting down with three female Patent Attorneys, Olivia Johansson, new council member Monika Rai and CIPA President Alicia Instone to talk about why they chose to pursue STEM, what can be done to encourage more girls to be involved and why we need more female role models within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics sector.  

It's Season 3 and we kick off with a story unlike any other. Lee and Gwilym chat with former CIPA President Tibor Gold about his extraordinary life, from fleeing Nazi Hungary as a Jewish refugee in World War II through to his life as a patent attorney, becoming CIPA President and his recent work to improve the inclusivity and diversity of the IP professions. 

IT'S CHRISTMAS! But not as we know it. Lee and Gwilym console each other about being in Tier 4. Gwilym has coronavirus, but thankfully it's not affecting him badly enough to stop him podcasting. They look back on their favourite clips from Season 2, which featured judges, inventors, patent exam candidates, a focus on diversity and IP in North America and China.

Lee and Gwilym talk rock 'n roll,  meeting different US Presidents, patent eligibility, the Unwired Planet UK court decision and its international influence - and lots more - with Judge Randall Rader, Former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. They also discuss holding hearings by videoconference following the recent decision by the European Patent Office to make ViCo the default for all hearings below appeal until autumn 2021. 

If you're wondering what effect a Biden US presidency will have on intellectual property, we have some answers for you. Lee and Gwilym have a transatlantic chat with our good friends at the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC). President, Stephanie Chong of Hoffer Adler LLP , Toronto, and her Vice-President, Louis-Pierre Gravelle, of Robic, Montreal, update us on the latest Canadian patent and trade mark news. As well as casting an eye across to their North American neighbours, they explain current patentability issues in Canada and talk about IPIC's successful IP public awareness campaign. The episode ends with an illuminating chat about what is being done to encourage diversity and inclusion at leadership level in IP on both sides of the Atlantic.

Question: What links zombies, nose studs, rescue chickens and dinosaur backpacks? Answer: CIPA's incoming President for 2021, Alicia Instone.  Lee and Gwilym chat with Alicia about the can-do attitude that has been the hallmark of her career, the importance of having a broad IP practice and her hopes for raising awareness of how to maintain good mental health. (Episode acronym key: Patcom = CIPA Patents Committee; ANIPA = Association of National IP Associations.)

Interested in a career as a lawyer specialising in intellectual property and want to find out more? The charity IP Inclusive works to increase diversity and through its Careers In Ideas campaign, is raising awareness of different IP career paths. This week is Careers In Ideas Week and IP Inclusive is working with organisations who support under-represented groups such as BAME students, disabled people and women in STEM, to provide a focus on social mobility and access to the professions. Our hosts Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts learn more from IP Inclusive's Andrea Brewster, Chris Burnett, Julie Barrett and Tom Hailes.

China is the second-largest economy in the world and the UK's fifth biggest trading partner. Speaking to our co-hosts Lee and Gwilym about the improving IP environment in China as it moves from a manufacturing to an innovation-based economy are Adam Williams, Director of International Policy at the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO), Conor Murray, the IPO's attaché for China, and CIPA's Council's resident China expert, Daniel Chew, of Haseltine Lake Kempner.

When CIPA launched Two IPs In A Pod in March 2020,  the European Qualifying Exams had just been cancelled and there was real concern about whether this year's UK Qualifying Exams for patent attorneys would be held this year. Chatting with Lee and Gwilym about the success of the first ever UK online qualifying exams, held in October 2020, are trainee attorneys Joel Briscoe,  Kevin Rich and Amelia Barton.

It's Halloween! We're delving into the world of strange and unusual patents with CIPA council members Tim Jackson and Joel Briscoe. Be prepared for some wacky inventions and truly terrifying jokes. 

We're deep into autumn with winter around the corner. Lee's been on jury service and Gwilym's been buying waterproofs to avoid COVID-related indoor queuing. Providing us with a contrasting view of intellectual property from America's Golden State is Christopher J. Palermo, a partner in the Palo Alto, California office of Baker Botts LLP. Chris speaks about being interviewed by Steve Jobs, the importance of university innovation to Cali's thriving IP economy, the patenting of artificial intelligence, the effect the pandemic is having on the interchange of ideas and ethical issues around IP and COVID vaccines. 

Lee and Gwilym's guest this week is such an IP VIP that he barely needs an introduction. Sir Robin Jacob was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal in October 2003 and continues to sit from time to time in the Court of Appeal. He is also wonderful speaker and raconteur, so sit back and enjoy an armchair chat with one of the UK's most influential figures in IP.

Discussions around diversity within the IP profession are more important than ever. Women in IP have been working to highlight the benefits of gender inclusion within the profession and work towards greater equality. This week co-hosts Lee and Gwilym are sitting down with Susi Fish and Joanna Conway from Women in IP to discuss how the committee has developed over the years, what makes a good ally and the challenges facing working parents when balancing careers and family life. Keep up to date with all the latest updates with Women in IP here: https://ipinclusive.org.uk/community/women-in-ip/You can sign up to the "How to be a better ally" webinar here: https://ipinclusive.org.uk/events/how-to-be-a-better-ally-answers-to-those-questions-youve-always-wanted-to-ask/