In this special preview episode, Gwilym Roberts is joined by Alexandra Collingwood-Pierce and Greg Corcoran to look ahead to CIPA Congress 2026. Together, they explore the key issues shaping this year’s programme, from sustainable IP and AI to regulation, commercialisation and the changing global landscape of innovation. They also discuss what attendees can expect from the Manchester programme and why this year’s Congress is about more than CPD. It is a chance to explore the future of the patent profession and the issues that will shape it. 

In another Pubcast from the archives, Lee and Gwilym chat with Matthew Ridley about what happens when a system built for speed meets modern online marketplace takedowns, where a registration number can trigger removals that feel like an instant injunction.

We start with the human side, discussing how Matt found the patent attorney profession, what the UK exams taught him compared with the EQEs, and why design work can be such a mental shift from patents. From there, we move into the policy work Matt does as chair of CIPA’s Designs and Copyright Committee, including why Brexit-era changes pulled practitioners closer to UKIPO engagement.

The heart of the conversation is the current UK design law tension, where minimal examination keeps registered designs accessible, but also leaves the register open to weak or bad-faith filings. We talk through practical reforms that keep costs low while reducing abuse, and the controversial topic of criminal sanctions.

If you care about UK intellectual property, design protection, UK IPO practice, and the real-world impact of enforcement tools online, this one is for you. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.

This episode has been pulled from the archive of the 2025 Pubcast which, thanks to the help of AI, has been salavaged into something listenable!

Theme music is a vital part of every podcast you listen to every single week, so it has to do more than fill silence! Lee and Gwilym sit down with Gwilym's son, Billy Roberts - the person behind our intro, and ask him to show us how it’s actually made.

We get into the real craft of DIY music production in Logic Pro and GarageBand: layering multiple guitar takes, stacking piano and string parts, using MIDI instruments that sound surprisingly “real,” and shaping harmony. The conversation returns to what we can’t ignore on an intellectual property podcast: copyright and licensing for commissioned music. If someone makes your podcast theme tune, who owns it, what rights are implied, and what happens when a friendly favor turns into something valuable? 

If you care about podcast branding, original intro music, music production workflow, and the IP basics that protect creators and hosts, you’ll get a lot out of this one.

Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts speak to Rob Stumbles and Pete Salder from Reddie & Grose about how Pixar evolved from a struggling computer graphics start-up into the studio behind Toy Story. They explore the patents, licensing deals, Steve Jobs' investment, and ground-breaking technology that kept the company alive long enough to change animation forever.

Retirement looks simple on paper until you realize you’re not just leaving a job, you’re leaving an identity. Lee and Gwilym sit down with Rob Williams, a former partner and co-head of IP at Bird and Bird who retired at 56 and retrained as a retirement coach, to talk about what actually makes the transition hard for high-performing professionals in intellectual property, law, and patent work. 

They discuss the non-financial side of retirement planning: the “role loss” that can hit when status and self-worth have been tied to your work for 30 years, the assumptions people make about the honeymoon phase, and why many smart, capable people still feel unsettled after the celebrations and travel wear off. Rob shares a practical framework for designing a fulfilling retirement built around purpose, achievement, community, and direction, plus why “retirement” doesn’t always mean stopping work.

They also talk about the part people avoid: relationships. Partners, adult children, and grandkids may have their own expectations about your time, and mismatched assumptions can create tension unless you communicate early. Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of IP careers and real life, share this with someone who’s starting to think about their next chapter, and please leave a review so more people can find the show.

Recorded at INTA, this episode sees Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts sit down with veteran IP journalist James Nurton to explore the evolution of intellectual property reporting over the past three decades. From the transition from print publications to digital-first media, James shares insights into the challenges of breaking news in the IP sector, the growing importance of analysis and context, and the realities of maintaining exclusivity in an age of instant information sharing. The conversation also covers effective interviewing techniques, memorable industry scoops, handling confidential sources, and the enduring value of thoughtful journalism, offering a fascinating perspective on how IP news shapes understanding across the global intellectual property community.

In this episode, we speak with Ken Seddon, CEO of LOT Network, about the increasing influence of non-practising entities (NPEs) and the growing role they play in patent litigation through the acquisition and assertion of patents. The discussion explores LOT Network’s “herd immunity” model, under which member companies automatically receive a licence if patents are transferred to an NPE, helping to mitigate patent risk across sectors including technology, automotive, banking, and semiconductors. The episode also considers why patents are increasingly viewed as “stronger” assets in today’s litigation environment, alongside wider trends shaping the global patent landscape. 

“Courts competing” might sound odd, but it can lead to what clients actually crave: faster and more predictable decisions. Joining Lee and Gwilym for this episode, recorded at INTA 2026, in London, are Tammy Terry, a Texas-based patent litigator, and Daniel Chew, a UK and European patent attorney and Chair of our International Liaison Committee. They consider how different forums shape strategy, not just outcomes, and how cross-border collaboration is becoming more important for patent litigators.

The discussion moves on to the Unified Patent Court and why its pace is drawing attention well beyond Europe. The group also wrestles with forum shopping: when it’s a legitimate search for efficiency and when it starts to feel like gaming the system.

The thorny issue of substantive patent law harmonisation (SPLH) and the patent grace period debate comes up - and why trade negotiations keep these topics alive even if global harmonisation still feels out of reach. 

The episode closes with a focus on the human side of the profession: education, networking, and the messages the group would want policymakers and industry leaders to hear, including the idea that IP is not just a sector, it’s embedded in every sector.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave us a review. 

Recorded at INTA, this latest episode explores the challenges businesses face when protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights overseas, and the practical steps organisations can take to strengthen their international IP strategy.

Kayleigh Nauman, Adin Samson, and Samuel Stone discuss the risks businesses can encounter when expanding internationally, from trademark disputes and enforcement costs to misconceptions around automatic IP protection across borders. The conversation also covers strategic trademark filing in the US, post-Brexit IP considerations in Europe, the role of the Unitary Patent and UPC, and why China requires a tailored enforcement approach.

With practical guidance on building a strong international IP strategy, this episode offers valuable insights for businesses looking to support growth, investment, and global expansion.

This episode features Deborah A. Hampton in conversation with Gwilym Roberts and Lee Davies, exploring the realities of modern trade mark practice, leadership, and career development within intellectual property.

Deborah reflects on her journey from working as a receptionist in a paralegal department to becoming a global brand enforcement leader and the President of INTA. She discusses how trade mark administrators and IP paralegals play a far more strategic role than often recognised, contributing to brand protection, business decision-making, and stakeholder management at the highest levels.

The conversation also examines practical challenges facing today’s IP professionals, including trade mark infringement, counterfeiting, and managing external counsel effectively. Deborah shares insights into translating complex legal advice into clear business options, building credibility with senior leadership, and why understanding the commercial side of a business is essential for successful trademark practice.

Alongside discussions on leadership through INTA and the future impact of AI on the profession, the episode closes with a candid reflection on resilience, mentorship, identity, and navigating workplace challenges while continuing to grow professionally within the IP community.

To mark World IP Day’s sports theme, we explore how intellectual property quietly shapes the world of winter sport, from performance and safety to sponsorship and visibility.

Drawing on stories from the Olympics and beyond, we unpack how patents, trade secrets, and open standards influence everything from the equipment athletes use to the way competitions are run and experienced by fans.

In this episode, we cover:

• How parabolic skis transformed technique and speed
• The patented spring loaded slalom gate and its unexpected impact on safety
• Airbags in downhill skiing and the balance between protection and risk
• Athlete branding and Olympic sponsorship as drivers of visibility and income
• Four year innovation cycles and why trade secrets can outperform patents in elite sport
• Clapskates as a case study in know how and competitive advantage
• The UK roots of skeleton and links between sport, the military, and university research
• Innovation in ski mountaineering gear, from skins to pin bindings
• Avalanche transceivers, open standards, and why interoperability matters
• A preview of standard essential patents for a future deep dive

If you enjoyed the latest episode, please leave us a review or share it with your friends and colleagues to help grow the audience.

The rules of qualification aren’t being rewritten overnight, but the questions are getting sharper. We sit down with Debbie Slater, Chair of CIPA’s Education Committee, to unpack the IPReg Education Review and what it could mean for anyone training as a UK patent attorney or trademark attorney over the next few years. The focus is forward-looking: what skills, knowledge, and professional behaviors should someone have at the point of registration, and how do we build training and assessment that actually matches the work attorneys do. 

We explore why the UK pathway can’t be separated from the European Patent Office and the EQE route, especially when so much UK practice runs through Europe. Debbie and the hosts dig into the apprenticeship model, mentoring, and why the profession often talks about “exams” when the reality looks much more like competency-based assessment. We also get practical about what proportionate quality assurance looks like for a small profession, and how costs, resources, and fairness shape access and diversity. 

Then we take on the topic everyone’s wrestling with: AI in patent drafting, prosecution, and client communications. If a large language model can generate a first draft and clients can arrive with AI-assisted interpretations of prior art or office actions, what must trainees still learn the hard way? The answer keeps circling back to judgment, fundamentals, and the ability to review critically, not just produce text. 

If you have views on the IPReg call for evidence, now is the time to share them. Subscribe for more conversations on intellectual property, send this to a trainee or supervisor who’s affected, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Lee and Gwilym are joined on the podcast by Laura Whiting from Freshfields and Arty Rajendra from Osborne Clarke. Ever wonder who decides the price of your medicine, the terms behind your 5G connection, or why your favorite streaming platform keeps changing codecs? We sit down with two leading IP litigators to pull back the curtain on the high-stakes world where innovation meets the courtroom—life sciences, telecoms, and the streaming wars.

First, we unpack how patents power the business model in pharma. With only a tiny share of compounds making it to patients, those limited years of exclusivity fund a decade of risk and research. We explore how innovators defend that window and how generic companies plan surgical challenges to enter earlier and drive prices down. It is a constant chess match, played out across multiple countries with hundreds of millions at stake in a single market.

Then we turn to standard essential patents and FRAND licensing. After Unwired Planet, the UK became a pivotal venue for setting global license terms—one decision, worldwide effect. Now the battlefield is shifting to streaming and video codecs. Where do you license—decoder or platform? How do you price a license when usage, audiences, and devices vary wildly? The valuation debate is intense, merging economics, data, and legal precedent in new ways.

Virginia Driver recounts entering a profession that once enforced skirts and skepticism, then earning credibility across computing, telecoms, and the smartphone wars, where old devices became courtroom gold. That history matters: it shaped her insistence that AI must be auditable and accurate, not just fast. We unpack the real sweet spot for AI in patents—deep analysis across thousands of documents, transparent claim mapping, and outputs a human expert can verify. No hype, no black boxes, and a clear line from machine reasoning to attorney judgment.

Enjoyed the show? Subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review so others can find us. What part of patent work do you most want AI to transform next?

What happens when the European Patent Office’s CTO and COO says the hardest part of technology isn’t the code, it’s the culture? Lee and Gwilym sit down with Angel Aledo Lopez to unpack how AI is changing the way patents are examined, filed, and managed, and why human judgment still anchors the system.

A squash ball to the ear is a painful reminder that sport isn’t just competition, it’s design, data, and decisions that protect and perform. From that opening jolt, we dive into the fast-moving world of sports technology with guests Dave Holt and Stephen Moore of Potter Clarkson, exploring how innovation is built, protected, and brought to life for pros and everyday athletes alike.

By the close, we’ve mapped a practical playbook for founders, rights holders, and teams: anchor bold claims in robust testing, choose IP instruments that match your speed and moat, and let brand and product reinforce each other when the tech reaches the public. Plus, we share the sports gadgets we wish existed, from rotation trainers to memory-wipe rackets for those embarrassing whiffs. 

Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a quick review. 

What should a newly qualified patent or trademark attorney be able to do on day one, and how should we train for a world shaped by AI, shifting client needs, and the public interest? We sit down with IPREG’s education review lead, Sally Gosling, joined by Katie Flett, to unpack the biggest rethink of qualification in years. From defining core capabilities to asking who even finds their way into IP, we explore the decisions that will shape careers, employers, and the users of the IP system.

A chemist hears a patent attorney speak and sees a future. Years later, that same attorney is directing a national patent office and helping rewrite how innovation gets protected. This conversation with Maja Schmitt travels from labs and in‑house roles to China and The Hague, and lands on a bold policy move: the Netherlands is returning to examined national patents after years of registration-only grants.

We celebrate five years of IP conversations with a festive look back at the moments that shaped the show. From lockdown origins to Earthshot wins and live sessions at INTA, we share what we learned from judges, founders, and the quirks that make IP human.

• Launch during lockdown and early interviews with sole practitioners and Tim Moss - link to episode here.
• Judges’ perspectives with Sir Colin Birss (link here) and Sir Robin Jacob (link here)
• Seaweed innovation, Notpla’s Earthshot win (link here), and Seagrown’s journey (link here)
• Trade secrets, pub recordings, and Donald O’Connell’s insights (link here)
• Live podcasting at INTA from Atlanta to San Diego 
• Playful bants, jargon gripes, and crafting better closing questions 
• Plans for future guests, UPC debates, and interviewing AI 
• Personal holiday plans and a warm seasonal sign-off

Merry Christmas and amazing 2026!

Ever wondered who actually turns evolving case law and global agreements into the rules you use every day? We sit down with Heli Pihlajamaa, Principal Director of Patent Law and Procedures at the EPO, for a candid tour of how European patent law is shaped, tested, and delivered at scale. From examiner guidance to implementing regulations and user consultation, Heli opens the black box of decision‑making and shows how the system stays predictable while technology races ahead.

Mental health training for line managers represents the most valuable investment an organization can make in supporting workplace wellbeing. This enlightening discussion brings together experts from Jonathan's Voice charity and intellectual property professionals to explore why this training matters and how it creates lasting impact.

The conversation reveals compelling evidence that proper mental health training, ideally a full day in person, equips managers with essential skills to recognize struggles, approach sensitive conversations, and implement appropriate support measures. But the benefits extend far beyond individual interactions. When done well, this training creates organizational consistency, develops a common language around mental health, and significantly shapes workplace culture.

You can download their guide free of charge from their website. They also have hard copies available on request. Do find a moment to have a look at this leaflet that includes signs to look out for, how to have the conversation and importantly, covers the necessity for those in senior positions to look after their own mental health.

Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon lights up our podcast with her remarkable journey from child math prodigy to founder of STEMETTES, an organization transforming how young women engage with science and technology. With disarming candor, she shares the pivotal moment at a 2012 tech conference where she realized she belonged to a "shrinking minority" as a woman in tech, a revelation that sparked what she calls her "road to Damascus moment" and ultimately led to STEMETTES' creation.

Want a clear roadmap to the new EQE without the confusion or the myths? We sat down with the people who helped design it to unpack the why, the what, and the how, so you can plan your path with confidence. 

Lee and Gwilym unpack with Chris Mercer, Julia Gwilt and Debbie Slater the new EQE structure with the leaders who shaped it, explain why the change was needed, and map the staged path from Paper F through M3 and M4. They share guidance for trainees, tutors, and firms on training registration, materials, exemptions, and transitions.

A decade of transforming the intellectual property landscape through inclusion, allyship, and community building, that's the remarkable journey of IP Inclusive we explore in this episode with founder Andrea Brewster.

What makes IP Inclusive unique is its ground-up development, responding to the genuine needs of professionals rather than imposing initiatives from above. This approach has fostered the creation of thriving communities including Women in IP, IP Out for LGBTQ+ professionals, IP and Me for those from minority ethnic backgrounds, IP Ability supporting disabled professionals and carers, and IP Futures for early-career individuals. Each community evolved naturally and embraces allies, a concept that's been vital for engaging those in positions of influence.

• IP Inclusive fundraising: https://ipinclusive.org.uk/ip-inclusive-fundraising/
• IP Inclusive six communities: (https://ipinclusive.org.uk/community/)
• Their flagship event looking at how approaches to EDI are changing and how they can keep up the momentum: "The Case for EDI: Why we need to continue" on 4th November, see https://ipinclusive.org.uk/events/the-case-for-edi-why-we-need-to-continue/. 

Join us on the eve of Congress 2025: IP and AI for an evening of networking. The event is hosted by the CIPA EDI Committee by the invitation of the Congress Committee. Book your place here.

On our last episode, we are stepping into the world of global intellectual property advocacy as we sit down with Margaret Polson and Lauren B. Emerson from the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) during the INTA conference in San Diego.

Our next guest to join Lee and Gwilym in our San Diego Pubcast is Rob Jackson. Chair of CIPA's UPC Committee, takes us on a captivating journey from his unconventional entry into patent law to his passionate advocacy for UK patent attorneys' involvement in the Unified Patent Court system. With refreshing candor, he reveals how a suggestion from his mother, a legal secretary, and his childhood interest in what "Pat Pend" meant on Lego bricks eventually led him to a fulfilling career at Danes in London.

Lee and Gwilym were joined by Michael McLaughlin, Patent Attorney at McLaughlin IP Pte. Ltd., for this INTA Pubcast special. Ever wonder what happens when engineering expertise meets international IP law across multiple continents? Michael's twenty-year journey from electrical engineer to Singapore patent firm founder offers a fascinating glimpse into the possibilities of a global IP career.

To start off our San Diego Pubcast special, Lee and Gwilym sit down with Vicki Salmon. Vicki never planned on becoming a patent attorney. While preparing for a career as an accountant after studying natural sciences at Cambridge, a chance conversation with a neighbor who happened to be a High Court judge changed everything. "I think you should have a look at patents," he suggested, introducing her to the profession that would become her life's work.

This episode captures a fascinating conversation between UK and Canadian intellectual property experts exploring the unique challenges and innovations in their respective IP systems.

The discussion dives deep into Canada's uncertain landscape for patentable subject matter, where inconsistent case law and examiner interpretations create significant headaches for businesses seeking protection. Unlike Europe's relatively settled approach, Canadian companies often face unpredictability that hampers strategic planning, as one guest puts it, sometimes patent outcomes depend on "the particular examiner's mood that day." 

Step into the fascinating world of global intellectual property protection with Charles Randolph and Brian Beckham from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). What begins as an annual update on WIPO's activities quickly transforms into a revealing conversation about the organization's far-reaching influence on the intellectual property landscape.

Charles, who heads WIPO's industry and NGO relations, shares how the organization manages relationships with over 300 accredited associations worldwide, coordinating specialists, organizing events, and facilitating crucial connections across the entire IP spectrum. Meanwhile, Brian offers captivating insights into the evolution of domain name disputes since the internet's early days. As head of WIPO's Internet Dispute Resolution team, he explains how their work has shifted from handling simple domain squatters to combating sophisticated phishing campaigns and fraud, especially as AI tools advance.

Alex Gray and Asa Le Fustec from RightHub join us to reveal how they're disrupting the IP management industry with their fresh approach. After spending decades navigating the limitations of legacy systems at companies like CPA Global, they decided to build something entirely new – a comprehensive platform that leverages modern technology to eliminate the inefficiencies that have plagued IP professionals for years.

The upcoming INTA 2026 in London has us dreaming of pub quizzes, battle of the bands, and podcasting from double-decker buses, but before that excitement, we're diving into the world of intellectual property services with Andre Andrade and Emma Browning from RWS.

These fascinating guests share remarkably similar stories of finding their way into IP through language skills, Andre as a Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French speaker who began as a trademark watcher, and Emma with her French and Italian background starting as a project manager. What's striking is how both have fallen in love with the IP industry, unable now to imagine working in any other field.

What happens when podcast hosts become the guests? This delightful crossover episode brings together the worlds of "Two IPs in a Pod" and INTA's "Brand & New" as we welcome host Willard Knox for a behind-the-microphone conversation about the art and craft of intellectual property podcasting.

Lee and Gwilym are joined in the Pod Box by Heather Steinmeyer, who shares how her journey to becoming INTA’s Chief Policy Officer began unexpectedly in 1980s New York publishing. There, she gained valuable exposure to content creators and author rights—experience that would later prove foundational to her IP career.

Her fascinating trajectory, which includes time in both corporate and private legal practice before serving as INTA President in 2010, has equipped her with unique perspectives that now shape her comprehensive approach to global IP policy development.

Lee and Gwilym have landed in San Diego for the INTA 2025 Annual Meeting! Elisabeth Stewart Bradley, INTA President and Vice President of Innovation Law: Trademarks, Copyrights, and Brand Protection at Bristol Myers Squibb, shares her journey from English literature major to IP lawyer, and how the organisation is evolving to support its members in a rapidly changing landscape. Her Presidential Task Force is focused on helping IP professionals adapt to technological disruption and showcase their value beyond what AI can offer.

From helping Scotch Whisky manufacturers by protecting the name in Brazil to working on the IP aspects of the UK's Government's reset in relations with the European Union, the work of our IP Attachés is varied and complex. Lee is joined by his deputy Neil for this deep dive into the important world of global IP diplomacy and trade. Attachés responsible for Southeast Asia, China, Latin America, North America, Middle East, North Africa and India all dropped by to join the conversation. Since the podcasgt was recorded the US Copyright Office has issued the third and final part of its AI and Copyright Consultation report. Learn more about this vitally important IP network here.

It's Mental Health Awareness Week and Lee and Gwilym are joined by Penelope Aspinall from the Jonathan’s Voice charity, along with Joanne Donaldson (HLK), Cathy Bailey (UK Intellectual Property Office) and Sally Bannan (Cytiva), for a powerful discussion on the vital mental health training that the charity provides for line managers in IP firms. The group explores how this training supports healthier, more compassionate workplaces—both from within an organisation and from the outside looking in—highlighting its real-world impact on teams and leaders alike. 

To access the numerous resources offered by Jonathan's Voice, visit their website: http://jonathansvoice.org.uk/

The vital intersection between academia and real-world intellectual property practice takes center stage as Lee and Gwilym welcome Enrico Bonadio from City St George’s University of London. His unique journey from IP litigation in Milan to academic research and teaching offers powerful insights into how theoretical and practical perspectives on intellectual property complement each other. 

Bonadio reveals how his litigation background enriches his teaching by providing strategic perspectives on how IP rights are actually deployed. This practical foundation allows him to break down complex legal concepts into real-world scenarios that engage students and demonstrate IP's pervasive impact on daily life. Whether you're an IP practitioner seeking fresh perspectives, a student considering this field, or simply curious about how intellectual property shapes our world, this episode offers valuable insights into the dynamic relationship between academic exploration and practical application. 

Join Lee and Gwilym for an engaging conversation with Keven Bader, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Trademark Attorneys, who shares his personal journey in the realm of intellectual property. They discuss pressing issues, such as the increase of unusual trademark filings and the critical need for collaboration among professional organizations in the field. In a world where technology and innovation are constantly progressing, they emphasize the necessity of staying aware of emerging trends and preparing for the future. Don’t miss this chance to broaden your understanding of intellectual property and gain valuable insights from industry leaders. 

 In this episode of Two IPs in a Pod, Lee and Gwilym are joined by Natasha Bamu from Barron Warren Redfern to explore the world of Trade Mark Genericide—what it is, how it happens, and the steps brands can take to prevent it. Plus, Gwilym puts a few word games to the test, with some unexpected results! 

Join us for an enlightening episode as we explore the multifaceted theme of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) within the patent profession. Hosted by Lee Davis and Gwilym Roberts, we are thrilled to have guests Greg Iceton and Alexandra Wood share their insights and experiences, shedding light on important EDI concepts and their impact on modern workplaces.

In this episode, we unpack the difference between equality and equity, clearing common misconceptions and emphasizing their roles in fostering an inclusive culture. Our discussion dives into personal narratives highlighting social mobility challenges faced by professionals in the field. You'll hear how these experiences have shaped the EDI Committee's efforts to break the mold and take actionable steps to improve the landscape. 

We celebrate the strides made in council meetings and the evolving conversations surrounding EDI, as well as practical strategies organizations can implement to enhance their inclusivity efforts. The energy of this dialogue is complemented by a touch of humor, making what can be a sensitive topic both engaging and relatable for all our listeners.

Our latest podcast episode dives into the intriguing journey of Tom Bridgewater, CIPA Honorary Informals Representative who transformed his physics and robotics expertise into a rewarding career in intellectual property. Tom shares valuable insights about the challenges of transitioning to IP, the importance of supportive training, and the role of organizations like CIPA in fostering community among members. 

Join Lee and Gwilym for an enlightening conversation with Ray Naughton from NEG8 Carbon, a pioneering force in the world of carbon capture technology. Ray takes us on a journey from a humble research project at Trinity College Dublin to a cutting-edge enterprise nominated for the 2025 Earthshot Prize. Ray and the peas discuss how innovations might reshape industries by turning captured CO2 into valuable products like strengthened concrete and the role intellectual property plays in maintaining a competitive edge. This episode offers a thought-provoking look at the intersection of technology, personal impact, and the quest for a sustainable future.

Join Lee and Gwilym as they welcome Lewis Parle, an IP insurance expert, who shares his fascinating journey into this niche field and helps unravel the complex, yet critical, aspects of insuring intellectual assets. They discuss the challenges of insuring against infringements, and the importance of asserting IP rights. From the challenges posed by Non-Practicing Entities in the IP landscape to the critical role of IP insurance in the creative and life sciences sectors, this episode covers all you need to know about the world of IP insurance!

Join us as we explore this compelling question with Rachel Free, an esteemed patent attorney and the Vice Chair of the Computer Tech Committee at CIPA. Rachel takes us on a fascinating journey from her initial studies in chemistry to her foray into artificial intelligence, sharing intriguing insights into human-AI collaborations and the ethical dilemmas they pose. Along the way, we engage in some playful banter about verbal tics, adding a light-hearted touch to our deep dive into the crossroads of AI and intellectual property.

Join us for an enlightening conversation with Dana Brown Northcott from Amazon and Etienne Sanz de Acedo from INTA as we explore leadership transitions in the world of intellectual property. Discover how fresh leadership at organizations like the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys and INTA, with the likes of Bobby Mukherjee and Elizabeth Stewart Bradley stepping into Presidential roles, is shaping the future of the IP landscape. Our discussion uncovers the challenges and exciting opportunities that arise when new perspectives and agendas come to the forefront, and how these shifts impact member-driven associations.

Join Lee and Gwilym as they navigate the complex role of AI in intellectual property with Ryan Abbott, Professor of Law and Health Sciences at University of Surrey. Ryan discusses how jurisdictions worldwide are grappling with AI's potential role as an inventor, highlights the lack of international consensus, and the ongoing debates that define this area of law. Get ready to uncover the intriguing journey of AI-generated inventions, the implications of AI's prowess in fields like drug discovery, and the pressing need for evolving patent law to keep pace. 

Ever found yourself chasing a toddler through bustling streets in Vietnam or battling childhood shingles during a family getaway? We share these personal adventures that serve as a lively backdrop to our enlightening conversation on the intricate world of intellectual property. Lee and Gwilym are joined by the insightful Rachel Jones and Jet Doran from Snapdragon IP, who reveal their journey from personal invention to establishing a key player in the fight against online counterfeits. With tales of unexpected innovations and the harsh realities of counterfeiting, this episode promises a unique blend of engaging narratives and critical insights.

How do the pressures of the IP industry intersect with men's mental health, and what strides are being made to address them? Joining Lee and Gwilym this week are Graham Mccartney and Richard Wells, who shed light on Jonathan's Voice, a charity dedicated to supporting mental health in the IP sector. They also give insight to the amazing work of IP Inclusive, who promote and improve EDI and wellbeing throughout the UK’s IP professions.

Looking back over the past decade, significant progress in mental health support within the IP community is evident. But there is always more to be done.

CIPA members have played a key role in the success of Prince William's increasingly influential Earthshot Prize, the multi-million pound annual environmental awards.
This year the awards were held in Cape Town and Deputy Chief Executive Neil Lampert was among the invited VIPs. Neil talks to Lee about his chats with past CIPA-nominated winners and finalists - and hopes that CIPA members can play an even more important role in supporting Earthshot finalists.
Read more about the 2024 winners and the awards ceremony on the Earthshot website.

In this episode of Two IPs in a Pod, Lee and Gwilym chat with Annemarie Parsons and Vicky Maynard about CIPA’s Introductory and Advanced Paralegals training courses. 

After discussing how the IP Paralegal profession has developed over the years they dive into the structure, benefits, and objectives of each course, explaining how they help paralegals develop key skills and deepen their understanding of the IP profession.

Trade marking isn't just a legal formality; it's a strategic move that can help make or break a band's artistic journey. Joining Lee Davies and Gwilym's stand-in, Neil Lampert, this week are trade mark attorneys Chris McLeod and Jerry Bridge-Butler, of CITMA, who bring a blend of legal expertise and rock 'n roll enthusiasm to our discussion. From Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention to the oft-debated legacy of The Smiths, our guests provide insight into the historical missteps and modern approaches to band names and trade marks.

Join us as we explore the intersection of professional achievements and cultural heritage with our special guests, Josh McLennan, a European patent attorney, and Nikkei, a technical director and diversity advocate. Discover how the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys is embracing democracy with an upcoming presidential election, a decade since the last contested race. Our guests share their unique journeys in the fields of patent law and engineering, offering insights into the importance of diversity and inclusion within these industries.

The episode takes an introspective turn as we examine Britain's complex race relations history, from past economic motivations behind policy decisions to the resurfacing of racial tensions today. We tackle the critical need for open conversations around systemic inequality and the role of allyship in creating lasting change. Through a mixture of personal anecdotes and historical reflections, we invite listeners to engage with the past and its influence on our present and future, underscoring the importance of continuous learning and connection.

We’re back! Kicking off season 12, Lee and Gwilym are joined by Rachel Fetches, IP/Patent Litigation Partner at HGF. 

Discover how the Unified Patent Court is set to transform patent litigation across Europe. This episode sheds light on the shift from a fragmented to a more centralized system, offering patentees the promise of pan-European injunctions and a streamlined process. 

Join them as they discuss the potential of the UPC for SMEs, international businesses, and the opportunities and hurdles presented.

In this episode of Two IPs in a Pod, hosts Lee and Gwilym sit down with David Kappos, former Director of the USPTO and a key figure in IP law. They dive into his fascinating career, from his work at IBM to his time in the Obama administration, exploring pivotal moments and key insights. The conversation also touches on the future of IP law in the US, the challenges ahead, and some stories about the most famous people they’ve all met along the way.

This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by another amazing IP Inclusive Community - IP Ability.

Guests Marianne Privett (AA Thornton), Chris Clark (Vectura) and George Lucas (eip) bring both a personal and professional perspective on disability inclusion and emphasize the crucial need for a more open and accessible environment within the IP profession. 

From examination accommodations for neurodivergent individuals to the legislative milestones like the UK's Equality Act, the progress made is commendable, yet there is still a long way to go. 

This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by Lisa Jorgenson of WIPO as she shares her incredible career journey from sales, to IP litigation, to her current role at WIPO. Join the Peas as they chat with Lisa about WIPO's collaborative efforts to advance intellectual property on a global scale, the structure and functions of WIPO, and the role of the PCT in shaping patent strategies. Lisa also describes the the global initiatives led by WIPO, especially those aimed at supporting developing countries and empowering women and minorities in the IP field.

Join Lee and Gwilym as they sit down with Jane Wainwright from IPause, the latest initiative by IP Inclusive. This episode dives into the critical topic of menopause, focusing on how it impacts professionals in the intellectual property field. Jane shares invaluable insights on the support and community IP Pause offers, emphasising the importance of awareness and understanding in the workplace. Whether you're experiencing menopause or supporting someone who is.

You can find out more about IP Pause at: https://ipinclusive.org.uk/community/ipause/

Ever wondered how a casual chat about football and shirts can effortlessly lead to a deep dive into equity, diversity, and inclusion within the intellectual property profession? That's exactly what happens in this episode as Lee reminisces about his unexpected participation in a football tournament, setting a relaxed and humorous tone before we dive into the serious topic at hand. We then introduce our brilliant guests— Beatrice Malacart, Lianne Da-Cunha, and Riddhi Patel, trainee patent attorneys at Forrester's—who share their unique journeys and emphasize the importance of fostering a diverse and inclusive environment in the IP field. 

Get ready to explore groundbreaking legal insights with Dr Tim Sampson, a seasoned barrister specialising in intellectual property and construction law. 

In this episode, Tim joins Lee and Gwilym to discuss a landmark Supreme Court case involving trade mark infringement. Tune in to hear about the complexities of defending his clients and gain an understanding of how the court's fresh perspective on director liability in IP law offers a fairer playing field for honest directors. 

Join Lee and Gwilym in the last of the Pubcast special episodes as they chat with Ed Bray from DeepRender about how AI is reshaping the patent world. Ed explains his professional journey from solicitor to inhouse patent attorney at a tech startup and how his experiences helped shape his current role. There is also a discussion on the current limitations of AI and and the broader challenges within the patent system.

Lord Justice Colin Birss returns for this special Pubcast episode. Join him, Lee and Gwilym in the Lamb Pub as they explore the transformative potential of AI in the legal profession, the benefits of expanding diversity in judiciary recruitment and recent developments in the Unified Patent Court and the UK's Civil Procedure Rules. There is also an interesting discussion about Cheese...

What if your favorite hobby could transform into a career that connects you with thousands of like-minded enthusiasts? In this episode, we explore the fascinating journey of Kyle Ashman, a dedicated football shirt collector whose daily posts on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have turned him into a social media influencer. Alongside returning guest Rebecca O'Kelly-Gillard, Kyle shares the story of his evolution from a modest collector to a sought-after content creator, attracting brand collaborations and building a vibrant community. 

During a recent pubcast recording the Peas sat down with Dr Liz Zijing Li, COO, inventor and Co-founder of Mimicrete. They discussed the possibilities of self-healing concrete, Liz's journey to the foundation of the company and the future aspirations of Mimicrete. You can also find out more about Liz's story and experience with Intellectual Property on the CIPA YouTube Channel.

Join Lee and Gwilym on their last podcats in Atlanta with Krish Gupta, Senior Vice President - Litigation and Intellectual Property at Dell Technologies. Krish has extensive experience in overseeing intellectual property and litigation matters for various tech companies. 

Join Lee and Gwilym this week as they chat to Chris Parsonson, the founder and CEO of Solve Intelligence, in another INTA special on this years hot topic - artificial intelligence. Chris explains his work on the integration of artificial intelligence in patent drafting and analysis, and reassures listeners that AI is not coming for all patent attorneys job. Lee also takes his roving mic on a journey through the INTA exhibition hall to chat with Shannon Fitzpatrick from Questel and Debbie Welch of Sun IP, to find out more ways AI can help the work of patent attorneys everywhere. 

Still in Atlanta, Lee is riding solo this week without Gwilym, but is joined by Scott Frank, President & CEO  AT&T Intellectual Property LLC.  However, we get to learn more about what Scott does in his spare time... Scott would like to introduce you to the Global Intellectual Property Alliance (GLIPA) a non-profit formed on October, 2022, based on the effectiveness of the alliance model of the USIPA (United States Intellectual Property Alliance), GIPA (Georgia State Intellectual Property Alliance) and other state level IPA models. 

Lee and Gwilym are still at INTA and this time speaking with Nicole Morris, professor of practice at Emory University; learning about her career, representation in the IP Profession and a deep dive into Entrepreneurship. We also discover the Peas’ inner spirit animals.

In this episode, recorded from the INTA conference in Atlanta, Georgia, Lee and Gwilym sit down with Executive Director Vincent Garlock and President Ann Mueting from the American Intellectual Patent Law Association (AIPLA).   Learn more about this great American institution,  which represents a wide and diverse spectrum of individuals, law firms and companies involved with intellectual property.  If Lee and Gwilym went to INTA to break America, this was their equivalent of the Beatles at Shea Stadium...

In this episode Lee and Gwilym sit down with President Paula Clancy and Catherine Lovrics of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada. The conversation covers the regulation of the Canadian intellectual property profession, the limitations of privilege protection, how IPIC are providing a proactive approach to career development, and the future of AI and its impact on the profession. There is also a small debate on what may have fallen out of a tree during Lee's visit to Canada...

Next up on this special INTA series is Andy Bartlett and Oliver Morris from the UKIPO. Join them as they chat to Lee and Gwilym about digital transformation, policy and attaches around the globe. 

In this episode from the INTA 2024 conference, Lee and Gwilym chat with Vaibhav and Bharath about the evolving intellectual property landscape in India, recent developments, challenges, and opportunities in the Indian IP sector. There's also the smallest disagreement about cricket. 

It's Lee and Gwilym's first full episode broadcasting from the world's biggest intellectual property event, the annual meeting of the International Trademark Association (INTA) in Atlanta, Georgia. What better guest to kick off this INTA series of episodes than David Muls, the Senior Director of the Madrid Registry - the primary international registry for trade marks - at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). The discussion takes in the effectiveness of Madrid, how it differs from the Hague and Lisbon Systems...and which BBC act our co-hosts mostly resemble: Monty Python or Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men. You decide!

Will the the Two IPs break America? Lee, Gwilym and producer Emily are in Atlanta to speak to delegates of the world's biggest intellectual property conference, the annual meeting of the International Trademark Association (INTA). A special series of INTA episodes, featuring stellar guests from the world of IP, will be arriving in your feed over the coming days and weeks...

Join Lee as he interviews guests at the after party of the successful CIPA event, UK patent drafting and litigation – myth, legend & reality. This episode features feedback from members after attending an hour session with an expert panel of Judges to look at patent litigation from the perspective of the judiciary.

Two IPs in a Pod turns 4! For this anniversary episode, Lee and Gwilym are joined by the EPO’s Steve Rowan at the SCI building in Belgravia.

Join them as they talk unitary patents, SMEs, description amendments and much more. 

In this episode, Lee and Gwilym chat with Martin Brassell and Neil Bellamy about NatWest's innovative lending strategy for IP-rich businesses. They dive into how the bank utilizes IP assets as collateral, supported by Inngot's valuations. The conversation extends to the significance of IP valuation, how the Pandemic changed the way that IP is viewed as an asset, growing government interest with the initiative and the broader impact of scale-up businesses. Also good news, Albert is awake! 

Vaccines are highly sensitive to temperature and need to be refrigerated within a very specific temperature range to be effective. Imagine how vaccine deployment could be transformed and more lives saved if the need for cold chain storage and transport could be eliminated. This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by Dr. Asel Sartbaeva, co-founder and CEO of EnsiliTech Ltd and her patent attorney Isobel Finnie, of Haseltine Lake Kempner LLP, to discuss the innovative work EnsiliTech is doing to thermally stabilise vaccines. They discuss Asel's journey in developing a silica-based solution for storing vaccines, the company's mission to eliminate vaccine spoilage and the importance of territorial coverage in patenting. 

On this week's epsiode, Lee and Neil are joined by Matilda Memaripour and Ashley Tambe from the Informals Committee. They emphasise the importance of self-care sessions for trainees and announce plans for a summer fundraiser, showcasing their commitment to mental health advocacy within the organisation. Ashley also talks about his dad filing a patent...for a flying car!

We nominated sustainable dye pioneers Colorifix for a £1m Earthshot Prize. They were selected from more than 1,000 amazing environmental solutions as a finalist but narrowly missed out on the big prize. The company's founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Jim Ajioka, sat down with CEO Lee and his deputy, Neil, to discuss the history of textile and colour, Colorifix's IP journey and why Lee can't dye white leather winkle-picker shoes yellow.

This episode is perhaps a little change of pace, with Gwilym a lone host hunkering down in his local, the reigns of the podcast are taken up by two members of the upcoming Informals podcast team, Joel David Briscoe and Sophie Knott. Turning the tables on the sole pea they discuss their plans to launch a new podcast called "The IP Survival Guide" and dig into Gwilym's own career journeys, their collective experience with training and the evolution of the profession. 

This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by Dr Nike Folayan MBE, a Chartered Engineer in electronics and Co-Founder of Association For BME Engineers, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes higher achievements in education and engineering, particularly among people from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds. Nike chats with Lee and Gwilym about diversity and inclusion within the worlds of engineering and IP,  engaging young people in the STEM sector and the issues of retaining diverse talent in the workplace.

This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by Entrepreneur, inventor and mum-of-three Lisa Hicks invented an eco-friendly solid soap dispenser after realising how many liquid soap and shampoo bottles her family were using and throwing away during COVID lockdown. Nature lover Lisa, of Monmouth, spent two-and-a-half years developing her idea and has now patented and commercialised her SNOAP dispenser – a manual soap bar grinder that dispenses the soap as a snow-like powder ready to mix with water.

This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by the UK's best-known double act in IP, Adam Williams and Andy Bartlett from the UK Intellectual Property Office. Join them as they discuss the IPO's digital transformation programme, the challenges around the international harmonisation of intellectual property law and the IPO's plans to further support innovative SMEs. 

This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by Kevin Mooney, ‘architect’ of the Unified Patent Court (UPC). Kevin, a solicitor and partner at Simmons and Simmons, shared his extensive involvement in the UPC project. Hear about the challenges faced, the potential impact of the UPC on local German divisions, and the UK's position in relation to the UPC agreement. 

Join Lee and Gwilym as they welcome Immediate Past President of CIPA, Daniel Chew, back to the podcast. Hear about his globe-trotting year as President, from  traveling to the USA and Asia to promote the UK profession, to rubbing shoulders with celebrities at the esteemed Earthshot Prize Awards in Singapore, where CIPA nominees were among the finalists. 

What's at the top of of the news agenda for one of the top IP journalists in the UK? Gwilym and stand-in host Neil Lampert chat with Max Walters, of Managing IP, about patent quality at the EPO, standard essential patents, Natwest using IP as collateral for loans and the impact of AI on patent firms. 

Join Lee and Gwilym and their guest Head of Volunteer Recruitment for the Access Project, Jessica James. The Access Project sees access to Higher Education as one of the best levellers in our society. Their mission outlines that it is one of the best ways to enable talented young people to overcome the barriers and special inequalities they face, and reach their potential. 

How can we turn the political rhetoric about Britain becoming a science superpower into reality? Hosts Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts speak with Sharon Todd, Chief Executive of the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) and Charlotte Crowhurst, Chartered Patent Attorney and Member of the SCI’s Board of Trustees, about accelerating science out of the lab. Unlike tech companies, which can often turn profits quickly, science businesses take a long time to develop and scale - and often need an extensive patent portfolio. The SCI has launched a manifesto calling for a more comprehensive, long-term commitment to support science start-ups and attract investment. If the Government grasps this, the SCI says there is an opportunity to generate an additional £230Bn GVA for the UK economy and 240,00 new jobs in the life science and cleantech sectors.

The Pubcast is back! Lee and Gwilym are in The Lamb London with guest Sarah Rodriguez, who is a qualified patent attorney in the US, the UK, and Europe. Over some drinks, Sarah discusses case law, the inventive step and the differences between the jurisdictions. 

The next episode from the Pubcast sees Lee and Gwilym joined by Annemarie Parsons in The Lamb London. Annemarie is the Director of Paralegals at Murgitroyd and Chair of the CIPA IP Paralegal Committee. Annemarie chats with Lee and Gwilym about her personal career progression, the evolution of paralegals from an administrative role to a recognised legal profession and the qualifications and exams offered by CIPA. 

In this episode of Two IP's in a Pod, Lee and Gwilym engage in a captivating conversation with Otto English, the pseudonymous persona of the talented writer and journalist Andrew Scott. The focus of their discussion revolves around Otto's insightful book, 'Fake Heroes,' delving into the intricate fabric of origin stories and the veneer of heroism in today's society.

Where would the intellectual property system be without research and development? A strong R&D sector is a critical component of a successful innovation economy and public support for R&D is essential to ensure that politicians continue to fund it. Lee and his deputy, Neil, are joined by Dr Ben Bleasdale, of the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) to discuss his work with the public and politicians to promote the importance of R&D and future collaboration between CIPA and CaSE.

We made it to a century...not out! Join hosts Lee and Gwilym as they celebrate their 100th episode in the pub with special guest, CIPA Vice-President Matt Dixon. Tune in for an insightful conversation as Matt shares his priorities for his year as President, including his determination to put a UK stamp on the Unified Patent Court and to challenge any attempts to erect barriers to qualification as a European Patent Attorney.

It is important to speak out and ask for help when you need it. This is especially true when it comes to the stresses of taking exams, starting in a new profession, and feeling totally overwhelmed. Our hosts, Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts, are joined by Penelope Aspinall from Jonathan's Voice and trainee patent attorneys Elisabeth Pauli (Dehns) and Callum Watson (Forresters) to discuss mental health, coping mechanisms and their personal experiences in the profession. 

The Pubcast is back! Lee and Gwilym are back in The Lamb London for this special Halloween episode. Joining them is Ellie Chiarella from IBM UK answering Lee’s question: is AI the scariest thing imaginable? Ellie is a trainee patent attorney and master inventor specialising in AI interpretability. Over a pint or two, Ellie discusses AI's impact on IP professionals' roles and responsibilities, how to protect intellectual property when using AI and how we can embrace AI whilst acknowledging its limitations. 

The rise of patent trolls, or non-practising entities, has undeniably impacted the patent system. Patent trolls use patents as legal weapons, buying up patents cheaply from companies and then threatening legal action against those they argue are infringing their patents. Our hosts, Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts, are joined by Ken Seddon, CEO of the LOT Network, to discuss the rise of patent trolls, how they operate, and what organisations like the LOT Network are doing to protect innovation and the patent system. 

Intellectual property is central to global trade but IP laws, such as grace periods, are not yet harmonised around the world. So when the Government announced its intention to join a huge Pacific Rim trade bloc in February 2021, there were concerns about a perceived conflict with the UK's membership of the European Patent Office. Fast forward to July this year and the Government was thanking us for helping its negotiators to achieve a derogation of the patent grace period provision in accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Lee is joined by his Deputy, Neil Lampert, and Claudia Mulholland and Dan Lenton, from political consultants H/Advisors Cicero, to discuss the intensive campaign they mounted together in the UK Parliament and in CPTPP countries to help the government protect the UK's EPO membership.

A disruptive biofuel... but without the disruption. Today, more than ever before, we need safe, clean, sustainable, and renewable manufacturing for a better, shared, green future. Lee and Gwilym speak with John Archer, Founder and Director at HutanBio, and Kathy Lumsden, Director and European Patent Attorney at Slingsby, about innovative fuel replacements that drive regeneration, work in harmony with the surrounding ecosystems, and understand the socio-economic challenges of the region they are grown in. 

Knowledge of intellectual property law is central to innovation in science, technology, art, fashion, engineering and the creative industries as well as to business creation and management. IP courses and qualifications now proliferate, but who teaches the teachers? Lee and Gwilym speak with Prof Ruth Soetendorp, Professor Emerita and Associate Director of the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and Management at Bournemouth University, and Sabine Jacques, Senior Lecturer in Intellectual Property Law at the University of Liverpool, about their new book Teaching Intellectual Property Law: Strategy and Management.

Our hosts Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts introduce the ChatGPT Podcast: Where AI Meets Conversation. Join Dr Nils Rauer, MJI, for insightful discussions and deep dives into the world of artificial intelligence. 

This caption was written by Chat GPT  (although a human had to correct the grammar). 

We are an Official Nominator for Prince William's prestigious Earthshot Prize annual environmental awards. Last year three of our nominees were among the 15 finalists - and one of them, Notpla, won a £1M prize. Deputy CEO Neil Lampert went to New York for an Earthshot innovation summit where this year's finalists were announced and heard speeches from Bill Gates and Prince William, amongst others. Once again, we had a nominee on the shortlist. Colorifix is up for the £1M in the Build a Waste-Free World category. CEO Lee and Neil discuss CIPA's growing involvement in this important awards programme and Neil reports from New York.

That's a wrap on Season 7! Lee and Gwilym take a look back at the highlights from across the series, including  Dragon Boat racing, incredible Earthshot innovators and explorations into the metaverse. 

A big thank you to all of our guests. We'll be back for Season 8 where Two IPs in a Pod will be celebrating its 100th episode!

Sunken shipwrecks, love at sea and a ton of wet kelp - our first podcast to double as a movie synopsis with former trawlerman and Royal Navy Officer, Wave Crookes! Seaweed is among the fastest growing sources of biomass on Earth. It benefits the marine environment by capturing carbon, releasing oxygen, and providing a habitat for marine life. Wave has invented a modular system for growing seaweed which CIPA has nominated for an Earthshot Prize. Wave and his patent attorney Craig Morris, of HGF, talk to Lee and Gwilym about Wave's company, SeaGrown, and why growing seaweed is so good for the planet.

Kamal Kalsi is a wizard with waste. He can take mixed unrecyclable waste residues and turn them into a valuable energy source. His company, KEW Technology is using this amazing patented cleantech to reinvent waste to energy and take us to a world beyond Net Zero. Host Gwilym Roberts and Neil Lampert chat with Kamal, KEW's Strategy Lead Amna Bezanty and their patent attorney Stuart Rowlands of Maucher Jenkins, about their hopes for the future of this incredible technology and what it means to be nominated for an Earthshot Prize.

Imagine the scene. Your avatar is moving through a virtual world, interacting with other individuals, but as you leave one digital ecosystem and enter another, your avatar is suddenly naked. The moral of the story? Always check whether your avatar's costume is licensed in different metaverses! Our hosts Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts grapple with this and other virtual IP conundrums with help from our guides in the metaverse,  Dr Michaela MacDonald and Dr Gaetano Dimita of Queen Mary University, London.

Anil Gupta is an Indian scholar who wanted to use intellectual property to create social justice and empower the poor. So in 1988 he created the Honey Bee Network, a knowledge-sharing database, to ensure that grassroots inventors could benefit from the economy. Our hosts Lee Davies and Gwilyn Roberts talk to Prof Gupta about his philosophy of "sharing and caring" and how his model of ethical knowledge extraction and of IP rights being respected but not generally enforced, works in practice.

The Earthshot Prize is the world's most high-profile environmental awards programme and CIPA has been involved from the very beginning. Every year it awards one million pounds each to 5 nominated winners and CIPA is delighted to be an official nominator.  On this special series of Two IPs in a Pod, we're joined by our amazing nominees and their patent attorneys to talk about how their inventions will transform the world.

On this weeks episode Lee and Gwilym are joined by Jenni Arksey, Mike Arksey and Terry Woods to talk about how waste-free and resource-efficient kitchen construction could be the future of sustainable houses and how their solution hopes to win the Build a Waste-Free World Category.

The Earthshot Prize is the world's most high-profile environmental awards programme and CIPA has been involved from the very beginning. Every year it awards one million pounds each to 5 nominated winners and CIPA is delighted to be an official nominator.  On this special series of Two IPs in a Pod, we're joined by our amazing nominees and their patent attorneys to talk about how their inventions will transform the world.

This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by Noel McWilliam and Michael O’Brien from Mitravitae to talk about how their Integrated Renewable Energy Systems (IRES) provides an answer to problems of renewable energy storage and intermittent supply.

The Earthshot Prize is the world's most high-profile environmental awards programme and CIPA has been involved from the very beginning. Every year it awards one million pounds each to 5 nominated winners and CIPA is delighted to be an official nominator.  On this special series of Two IPs in a Pod, we're joined by our amazing nominees and their patent attorneys to talk about how their inventions will transform the world.

This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by Scott Winston, CEO of PULPEX and Rick Gordon-Brown of EIP, to talk about the future of sustainable packaging. 

Lee and Gwilym chat with Chartered Patent Attorney and CIPA Council member Suzanne Oliver about her fascinating career in industry and in private practice. Suzanne is a former President of the IP Federation and she and Lee get stuck into the intellectual property story, involving both CIPA and the Federation, behind the UK's recent accession to the £9trn pan-Pacific trade deal, the CPTPP.  For more on this story, read Lee's thoughts on our website or see the IP Federation's news article.

The Earthshot Prize is the world's most high-profile environmental awards programme and CIPA has been involved from the very beginning. Every year it awards one million pounds each to 5 nominated winners and CIPA is delighted to be an official nominator.  On this special series of Two IPs in a Pod, we're joined by our amazing nominees and their patent attorneys to talk about how their inventions will transform the world.

This week Lee and Gwilym are joined by Alex Reip, co-founder and CTO of Oxford nanoSystems and Imogen Parry from JA Kemp to talk about how the Nano-improved Electrolysers solution will help to make green hydrogen production a viable energy source for the world.

The Earthshot Prize is the world's most high-profile environmental awards programme and CIPA has been involved from the very beginning. Every year it awards one million pounds each to 5 nominated winners and CIPA is delighted to be an official nominator.  On this special series of Two IPs in a Pod, we're joined by our amazing nominees and their patent attorneys to talk about how their inventions will transform the world.

On this episode we're joined by Aryan Aviraj (CTO and founder), Iain Shepardson (CEO and co-founder) and Prajwal Nirwan (IP & strategy advisor). Lee and Gwilym talk to the team about Sustainable Filtration Innovation and their aims to reduce energy consumption and create circularity of water.

It was the United Nations World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development yesterday. To mark this event, Lee and Gwilym spoke with Nina Ferara, Sally Bannan and John Gray from the European Patent Institute's Diversity and Inclusion Committee to discuss the cultural differences within Europe and how they are helping their colleagues to find a common understanding on EDI issues.

The Earthshot Prize is the world's most high-profile environmental awards programme and CIPA has been involved from the very beginning. Every year it awards one million pounds each to 5 nominated winners and CIPA is delighted to be an official nominator.  On this special series of Two IPs in a Pod, we're joined by our amazing nominees and their patent attorneys to talk about how their inventions will transform the world.

On this episode we're joined by The Janger Director Guy Taylor and patent attorney Chris Aldridge from Mohun Aldridge Sykes. Gwilym and special co-host Lucy Wharton, CIPA's External Affairs Officer, talk to Guy and Chris about how IP has helped protect The Janger, how being green can benefit retailers and their hopes to win the Build a Waste-Free World category.

The Earthshot Prize is the world's most high-profile environmental awards programme and CIPA has been involved from the very beginning. Every year it awards one million pounds each to 5 nominated winners and CIPA is delighted to be an official nominator.  On this special series of Two IPs in a Pod, we're joined by our amazing nominees and their patent attorneys to talk about how their inventions will transform the world.

First up is Hyrdohertz, an innovation in advanced thermal management that increases the energy efficiency of electric vehicles.  Founder and Chief Engineer Martyn Talbot, and Cory Stobart and Rachel Biggin from Adamson Jones, join Gwilym and special co-host, CIPA Deputy Chief Executive Neil Lampert. They talk about their hopes of winning the Earthshot Clean Air category and the importance of IP protection in developing the business. 

Wednesday 26th April is World IP Day. This year's theme is Women and IP: Accelerating innovation and creativity.  To celebrate, we're sitting down with Vandita Chandrani,  Associate General Counsel IP at radiotherapy pioneers Elekta.  Vandita tells us about female-centered innovation, dragon boat racing, what private practice attorneys can learn from in-house counsel (and vice-versa) and how comedy improvisation is the secret to success. 

Wednesday 26th April is World IP Day. This years theme is Women and IP: Accelerating innovation and creativity. To kick start this years celebrations Lee and Gwilym are sitting down with founder and CEO of the The Global Women Inventors & Innovators Network, Dr Bola Olabisi. Bola talks about why she started the network, how she and the network support female innovators, and the importance of championing female inventors.

This year the GlobalWIIN Annual Conference & Awards will be held in Reykjavik, Iceland on the 6th and 7th of September, visit their website for more information.

We're still in The Lamb London! Joining us in the pub this week we have new council members Debbie Slater and Will Burrell, to talk about how they came to join CIPA council and what they love about working with the institute. Also joining in is CIPA Head of Publications Iain Ross and podcast fan (and colleague of Gwilym's) Ollie Lam.

We're back in The Lamb London! Joining Lee and Gwilym in the pub for this episode is Donal O'Connell, Managing Director of Chawton Innovation Services.  Donal talks about his journey into IP and trade secrets, including what they are and why they are an important part of your IP portfolio.

The Pubcast is back! Coming to you from The Lamb London, on this first installment Lee and Gwilym are joined by Professor of Law at the University of Utah, Jorge Contreras and surprise guest, Duncan Matthews from Queen Mary University London. Over a beer or two, Jorge and Duncan talk about Jorge's new book, The Genome Defense, and discuss the epic court battle on the right to control our genes. Also in the episode they discuss the TRIPs waiver, the power of genes and who would play Jorge in the movie of his book!

The Genome Defense is available now!
You can sign up to attend the book launch here.

How can we use innovation to improve women's health, and can these inventions be protected by IP? Lee and Gwilym are joined by Kirsteen Beverloo, Cheif IP council at Elvie and Emily Collins, Partner at Kilburn & Strode to talk all about Femtech, female innovators, the gender gap within inventing and gender diversity in patenting. 

Are jokes and game show formats covered by intellectual property law? Stand-up comedian Ollie Horn joins Lee and Gwilym to talk about the intersection between IP and comedy. Ollie, who studied law at Oxford University before qualifying with a Masters in Intellectual Property Law, explores various areas of comedy...and puts up with our hosts' appalling jokes!

Pierre Paslier stumbled upon an alternative to single-use plastic while experimenting with seaweed in his kitchen. After raising investment from crowdfunding, his start-up company, Notpla, has grown into a game-changer for sustainable food packaging. Three months ago it won a £1m Earthshot Prize - after being nominated by CIPA. Pierre tells Lee and Gwilym his inspirational story.

For the profession EDI has been taking centre stage for a while now and we’ve seen some wonderful initiatives both from the Institutes, from IP Inclusive and from our many other friends and allies. Even so, sometimes, it can be difficult to identify what difference you, as an individual can make. Lee and Gwilym are joined by three charities In2Science, The Access Project, Generating Genuis and also Vanessa Stainthorpe from HGF and Laura Ramsay from Dehns who have been working with these charities. Tune in to find out about volunteering and  building opportunities for those in the EDI space and how firms can get involved!

You can access the webinar recording on the CIPA website.

What are Non-Fungible Tokens and what relationship do they have with IP? NFT and copyright specialist Nils Rauer, of Pinsent Masons, tells Lee and Gwilym that they confer authenticity in the digital world. But, much like forgers of fine art, there are those seeking to misrepresent NFT ownership. Dive into the metaverse with the Two IPs...and find out why Lee thinks Lionel Messi smells a bit of vinegar.

A new year at CIPA means a new presidential team! In this podcast Lee and Gwilym introduce our Officers for 2023. Vice-President, Matt Dixon, and President, Daniel Chew. Daniel and Matt talk to Lee and Gwilym about Daniel's plans for his term and CIPA's goals for the future. 

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 from HTW Berlin and Frank Tietze from University of Cambridge join Lee and Gwilym to talk about their project IPACST (part of Programme Transformation to Stability) which examines the role of IP in sustainable innovations. They explain why IP is important in bringing climate change solutions to market and how different IP models can accelerate sustainable transitions. 


 

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.com
Jonathan's Voice (jonathansvoice.org.uk)
Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Legal… | LawCare, 0800 279 6888
Samaritans | 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 do 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/

At least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year. This plastic makes up 80% of all marine debris and can end up severely injuring, or killing, sea creatures. The wonderful people at Recycling Technologies decided to do something about this situation by recycling plastic into new products. Hosts Lee and Gwilym chat with Marvine Besong, Technical Director of Recycling Technologies, about the company's innovations and the importance of patenting them.

Schools are back and so are we! Hosts Lee and Gwilym are opening Season 2 with special guests, Chris Clarke, Debra Smith, Caelia Bryn-Jacobsen and Kerry Russell from IP Ability. In this episode, we discuss how the committee promotes improvement within the profession surrounding ability and accessibility. They touch on how we can be inclusive of all different types of disabilities, making adjustments in exams for learning disabilities and how events and conferences can be made more accessible. 

For all the latest updates on IP Ability events take a look at their website: https://ipinclusive.org.uk/community/ip-ability/ 
You can also sign up to Kerry's webinar on Invisible Disabilities here: https://ipinclusive.org.uk/events/invisible-disabilities/
And Caelia's webinar on Dyslexia and Dyspraxia here: https://ipinclusive.org.uk/events/dyslexia-and-dyspraxia-demystified/

What a season it's been! We've had presidents, inventors, judges and a fluffy unicorn called Steve. Join Lee and Gwilym for a special episode where we take a look back at some of the highlights from Season One, including an unlikely appearance from an Alexa... 

Thank you to everyone that's tuned in so far. It's been a great season and we can't wait to be back for Season2!

The first season of Two IPs In A Pod is coming to an end – and what an ending we have for you! António Campinos, President of the European Patent Office, tells Lee and Gwilym how the EPO’s plans to digitise and virtualise the EPO’s services have been accelerated in response to the coronavirus pandemic. And in an exclusive for the podcast, he confirms that the European Qualifying Exam (EQE) will be held online next year. CIPA’s own President, Richard Mair, joins the conversation to explain how his plans for 2020 were impacted by COVID-19 and how CIPA has responded to the crisis.

Sir Colin Birss is among the most influential patent judges in the world and is UK intellectual property royalty. Hosts Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts ask Sir Colin about his life before the judiciary - and Lee finds out they have more in common than he imagined. They discuss the need for more IP judges, the success of the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court and the international influence of the UK courts.

The CIPA staff have been reviewing the way they support BAME communities within the IP industry. We've realised that, while there has been progress with diversity in the sector, it needs to take a front seat in the way we think from now on. In a special episode of Two IPs In A Pod, Chief Executive Lee Davies and Honorary Secretary Gwilym Roberts talk with staff members Kathryn Espino, Kereiss Isles and Dwaine Hamilton about their personal experiences with racism and explore the challenges that they face on a daily basis. We at CIPA HQ are no longer comfortable acting passively on this. The need to speak out and challenge others and ourselves is crucial in order for us to move forward, no matter how uncomfortable the conversation. Only then we will find out what we can do individually and collectively to be better allies in diversity. 

Punctures are the bane of life for cyclists. So entrepreneur Richard Adams has come up with a solid, lightweight rubber tyre which he sells through his company Gecko Rubber. He realised early in his journey that he needed to protect his invention and so turned to Chartered Patent Attorney Tom Turner of Abel and Imray for guidance and expertise. Richard and Tom chat with co-hosts Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts about advice for start-ups, effective patenting and business strategy and other applications for the expanded rubber invention - including as a bumber for overly amorous tortoises. 

Former Culture Secretary Chris Smith, since 2005 The Rt Hon Lord Smith of Finsbury, chats with regular hosts Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts about his work as Chairman of the Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPReg) and his life in parliament. He explains his interest in intellectual property and what he really thinks about patent and trade mark attorneys. There's a discussion about the role of IP during the pandemic and how the UK has handled the crisis. We also get an update on Lee's sex-mad tortoise.

You've discovered that someone has ripped off your patented product, copied your trade mark or breached your copyright. Your intellectual property has been infringed. But you can't afford to defend yourself in court. You need to apply to IP Pro Bono for help! IP Pro Bono is a scheme offering free legal support to individuals and small firms involved in IP disputes who can't afford to pay. His Honour Judge Hacon hears such cases in the UK's pioneering Intellectual Property Enterprise Court. Judge Hacon and IP Pro Bono's Stephen Jones and Kate O'Rourke tell regular hosts Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts how the court has been operating during the pandemic, how to apply for help and how interested lawyers can offer their services.

This week we have a wide-ranging chat about diversity, including sexuality and racial inequality, the mental strain of isolation, the rise of video conferencing and its use in patent hearings...and unicorns and more tortoises! Chartered Patent Attorney Darren Smyth, a partner at intellectual property firm EIP and head of its practice group, joins regular hosts Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts for this episode.

Few have had a more stressful and exhausting time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic than members of the Intensive Care Society, working at the frontline of the crisis. Co-hosts Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts chat with Sandy Mather, Chief Executive of the ICS, about the dreadful emotional and physical toll that dealing with the virus has exerted on her members. She thanks Lee for the advice and assistance that CIPA staff have given to her team on the delivery of webinars. Joining them is Julian Smith of Memcom, the organisation behind the annual awards and conference for the membership sector. With CIPA's main conferences moving online later this year, Julian gives his insight into Memcom's online event next week. He and Gwilym also discuss the question of where intellectual property starts and finishes, including globalisation and the disappearance of borders. If you wish to make a donation to support intensive care professionals visit the society's DONATE page here.

Lockdown has disrupted life for everyone. But for students revising for exams that have been cancelled for 12 months, it has delayed a vital stage of their professional development. Co-hosts Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts speak with three student patent attorneys: Carolyn Palmer of Schlich who is Honorary Secretary of the CIPA Informals (an informal association of all trainees and a committee of CIPA); Kevin Rich of Potter Clarkson and Joel Briscoe of HGF. They discuss the frustrations of having a year added to their training and call on the Patent Examination Board to introduce online examinations, in line with many other legal professions. We also learn that Lee's tortoise, Albert Treacle, is trying to mate with an old pair of Crocs™. 

Coronavirus lockdown has created different pressures for us all. How is it affecting those in the intellectual property field and how can colleagues and managers best help those in need of support? Our co-hosts Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts chat with: Andrea Brewster, Chartered Patent Attorney and Lead Executive Officer of IP Inclusive; Ben Buchanan, Deputy Director of Patents at the UK Intellectual Property Office and its diversity and inclusion champion and CIPA's own Fran Bleach, Membership Officer and mental health first aider. They discuss how to maintain team cohesion, the importance of managers showing vulnerability, random acts of kindness and ways to keep people connected. Lee's sex-mad tortoise and the importance of birdsong also come up...

How is the UK's Intellectual Property Office, responsible for IP rights such as patents, trade marks and designs across the UK, ensuring the majority of its services remain unaffected by lockdown and the coronavirus crisis? Our co-hosts Lee Davies and Gwilym Roberts ask Tim Moss, CEO of the IPO, how his staff have responded to the pandemic and adapted to the "new normal". They chat about the challenges of managing a workforce of 1,250 remotely, the importance of effective communications and the acceleration of digital service transformation. Oh, and tortoises and lamb chops. Read the IPO's latest update about the impact of the pandemic on its services: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-important-update-on-ipo-services

How are the UK's sole traders and small firms coping with life on lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic? Lee Davies, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys, chats with Bev Ouzman, of Ouzman IP, and Keith Loven, of Loven Patents and Trade Marks, about the challenges of running a small business in the current climate. They discuss everything from furloughing staff and adapting to the virtual working world to dealing with isolation, illness contingency plans and how to avoid giving out personal mobile numbers!