How can we protect our Inventions?

I started work at Kingswood Warren in October 1990. As a spotty teenager with only A-Levels and a milk round on my CV, I had a lot to learn. And I did learn a huge amount in my year at the British Broadcasting Corporation’s Research & Development department, working on software and electronics projects with many expert colleagues.

A year later, while studying Engineering at Cambridge University, I received a letter from the BBC informing me that the algorithm I’d developed for audio processing was to be patented. This was to be the first of many encounters with the world of Intellectual Property.

As a member of Inca Digital Printers’ founding team a decade later, I learned the importance of IP to a start-up’s value and credibility. Ten years after that I was in San Francisco drinking Peet’s coffee with expensive lawyers while we discussed our defence against a troll’s lawsuit. Over 20+ years, we built a decent patent portfolio and accumulated many useful trade secrets.

I’ve worked with several Startups in the last year on their IP. It’s surprising how many have patents which don’t fulfil their intentions. This is particularly true in the USA where more extensive prior art can lead to more complex claims and reduced scope.

My view on Intellectual Property has evolved through my career. I’m not a qualified patent attorney, but I’ve invented and read enough of them and heard many others’ experiences. The slide below is a summary of what I’ve learned.

If you’d like an experienced ‘non-professional’ view on IP Strategy then please get in touch.