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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...