This four-part series is all about artificial intelligence and understanding the patentability of AI innovations. In the first three episodes, we looked at how artificial intelligence can create super inventors that solve more problems in less time, how AI is enabling them to make their wishes come true, and how sometimes, inventors can create AI-based innovations that they, themselves don’t entirely understand. If you’ve missed those episodes, go back and take a listen. Today, in the last...

In the first two episodes of this series, we discussed how artificial intelligence can create super inventors that solve more problems in less time, and how AI is enabling them to make their wishes come true. Now it’s time to see what happens once the AI-generated inventions are built. Today, Robert Plotkin - a software patent attorney, computer scientist and one of the founding partners at Blueshift IP, a U.S. patent law firm specializing in software patents, focuses on how artificial...

In our first episode of this series on understanding the patentability of AI innovations, Cynthia Gilbert discussed how artificial intelligence can create super inventors that solve more problems in less time. Today, in our second episode, Robert Plotkin - a software patent attorney, computer scientist and one of the founding partners at Blueshift IP, a U.S. patent law firm specializing in software patents, focuses on how artificial intelligence is enabling inventors to make their wishes come...

Although Artificial Intelligence can be largely used by inventors to boost their inventive skills, this point is often overlooked because people frequently think of AI as something that is replacing human inventors. There are countless examples of jobs actually being eliminated by technology, so this fear is understandable, to a point. But, AI can do so much in helping people solve the world’s most difficult problems, without actually replacing the human factor. In this four-part series,...

We are all dealing with unprecedented circumstances right now, and we know that some of your top priorities are keeping your business running, and keeping yourself and all around you safe. In terms of keeping your business not only running but thriving, we, at Blueshift IP, want to partner with you and develop patent strategies tailored to the current economic environment that will work to maximize the benefits to you and your business. In today’s episode of The Software Patent Podcast,...

The Internet of Things – IoT – refers to connecting a wide range of objects and devices to the Internet, in order to make it possible to monitor information about those things and to control what they do. Today, in the final episode of this series, Cynthia Gilbert, a software patent attorney, computer scientist and one of the founding partners at Blueshift IP – a U.S. patent law firm specializing in software patents – is focusing on an introduction to the Internet of Things and its patentable...

In a previous episode, we provided an introduction to quantum computing and talked a little bit about some of the challenges that quantum computing poses for the patent system, for companies that are inventing in the quantum computing industry, and for patent attorneys. In today’s episode, Robert Plotkin - a software patent attorney, computer scientist and one of the founding partners at Blueshift IP – a U.S. patent law firm specializing in software patents – focuses on putting quantum...

Blockchains provide an immutable ledger of data without relying on oversight by a central authority. Its various applications are the center of attention for many innovators, and there are still a lot of challenges to be addressed in this field. Today, Cynthia Gilbert, a software patent attorney, computer scientist and one of the founding partners at Blueshift IP – a U.S. patent law firm specializing in software patents – is focusing on introducing the blockchain technology and its patentable...

Quantum computers have the potential to perform multiple computations simultaneously. Right now, they are on the verge of becoming commercially viable products that could be used to tackle the most challenging problems in computing, so companies that massively invest in the field deal with the challenge of which patents to focus their attention and their resources on. Today, Robert Plotkin, a software patent attorney, computer scientist and one of the founding partners at Blueshift IP – a...

AI has been applied to everything from natural language processing to computer vision to robotics to machine learning, and its reach and impact is growing every day. Obtaining patent protection for AI requires special expertise in both patent law and AI technology. Robert Plotkin and Cynthia Gilbert, the founding partners at Blueshift IP – a U.S. patent law firm specializing in software patents – join you in a new series, where they discuss, in each episode, specific buzzwords that you’ve...

On today’s episode, I’m going to share with you a really common misconception about software patents that hurts a lot of companies, puts them at risk and causes them to lose out on a lot of profit.  I hear many high-tech entrepreneurs, business owners, managers and people in positions of power say: "Patents are worthless. They stop competitors from copying you, but our competitors aren't copying us. Our main problem is developing and selling our products, not stopping copiers. What we need to...

After having such a positive response to our four part series on How to determine whether software is patentable, we’ve added two more bonus parts to this series that will cover another criterion that you can use to evaluable whether your software is likely to be patentable. This is the sixth and final part of the series. If you’re an inventor, an executive at a high tech company or a patent lawyer outside the US, this instalment will at least help you to make a first pass determination of...

After having such a positive response to our four part series on How to determine whether software is patentable, we’ve added two more bonus parts to this series that will cover another criterion that you can use to evaluable whether your software is likely to be patentable.  If you’re an inventor, an executive at a high tech company or a patent lawyer outside the US, this installment will at least help you to make a first pass determination of whether your software is worth considering for...

This is the fourth and final part in a series of podcasts on how to determine whether your software is patentable. If you are an inventor, an executive at a tech company, or a patent lawyer outside the U.S., this will help you to at least make a first pass determination of whether your software is worth considering for patent protection.  In each podcast in this series, we cover one criterion that you can use to evaluable whether your software is likely to be patentable. During this episode,...

This is part 3 in a series of articles on how to determine whether your software is patentable. If you are an inventor, an executive at a tech company, or a patent lawyer outside the U.S., this will help you to at least make a first pass determination of whether your software is worth considering for patent protection. In each podcast in this series, we cover one criterion in each episode that you can use to evaluate whether your software is likely to be patentable. In the podcast episode,...

This is part 2 in a series of articles on how to determine whether your software is patentable. If you are an inventor, an executive at a tech company, or a patent lawyer outside the U.S., this will help you to at least make a first pass determination of whether your software is worth considering for patent protection. In each podcast in this series, we cover one criterion that you can use to evaluable whether your software is likely to be patentable. In the podcast episode, you will...

This is the first in a series of podcasts on how to determine whether your software is patentable. If you are an inventor, in management at a high tech company, or a patent lawyer outside the U.S. this will help you to at least make a first pass determination of whether your software or your client’s software is worth considering for patent protection.  If you’re like most people, you will probably be surprised by much of what you read here because there are many common misconceptions about...

You’ve likely heard about provisional patent applications… But do you really understand what a provisional patent application is and what protection it provides—and doesn’t provide—to your company? This is how many companies waste their money handling provisional patent applications the wrong way. In the final episode of our series, we will uncover 4 myths underlying the common misuse of provisional patent applications: All You Need is a “Quick and Dirty” Provisional Patent Application You...

Patent law has many traps for the unwary client because it is unique in many ways. We outlined some of these key pitfalls in a the last episode to educate and to further minimize the risks that could potentially arise. One of the most important things for you to know about as a patent owner is the "duty of disclosure"—your legal obligation to notify the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) about "prior art." Failure to comply strictly with the duty of disclosure can cause your patents to be...

Even sophisticated high-tech companies often get tripped up by common pitfalls in the patent process, and lose critical legal protection for their innovative technology as a result. The patent process is complex and frequently changes—especially in the world of software patents. In my own law firm, we often find ourselves navigating through a minefield of potential traps for our clients in order to maximize legal protection for them and to avoid forfeiting their rights.   In this episode, we...