29th Jan 2021
AI is increasingly used in all areas of businesses to give companies an edge over their competitors, and the music industry is no exception. One example of such a use over the past few decades is how people have used AI to write music. This involves feeding an AI large amounts of data from music and the AI learning what musical characteristics and patterns a listener will enjoy. AI has even been able to create music to fit a specific genre.
29th Jan 2021
With Artificial Intelligence becoming increasingly relevant to our daily lives, many inventors are looking to gain patent protection for their technology. As discussed in our previous insight here, there are extra considerations to bear in mind when seeking patent protection for an AI invention in Europe. However AI patent applications can be, and are being, granted at the European Patent Office.
29th Jan 2021
In 2001 an experimental alternative to the NFL was launched by Vince McMahon: the XFL. The XFL hosted fewer teams, promising quicker games and greater entertainment. The XFL lasted just one season before collapsing due to significant financial losses. In 2018, McMahon revived the league with a planned restart date in 2020. Fast forward to January 2021 and the picture for the XFL remains bleak, it having lasted only 5 weeks before collapsing due to financial pressures linked to COVID 19. Dwayne Johnson and his associates now own the league and another restart is scheduled for the 2022 season.
29th Jan 2021
Colours and colour combinations play an important role in branding. In a crowded sector colours have the capacity to function as a powerful visual key, enabling consumers to easily distinguish between different products and brands. Trade mark rights granted for specific colours, or combinations of colours, are, therefore, powerful IP rights. The uncertainty surrounding how similar a colour must be to infringe a colour mark registration works in the favour of the owners of colour trade mark registrations – in extreme cases a colour mark registration may deter competitors from using all shades of that colour on/in relation to the same goods/services. Little surprise then that for some trade mark owners securing registered rights in colour marks has become a key strategic objective.
29th Jan 2021
As awareness of the devastating consequences of climate change grows, technology that harnesses renewable energy has seen significant investment in recent years. Wind energy is no exception. With increased investment, there comes a need for protection by way of patents. Patents are typically filed at an early stage of development, due to the requirement for the technology they cover to be new and inventive. This in turn means that patent filing statistics can provide a good insight into where R&D is being carried out, and into potential future technologies. In this article we ask, what areas are the core technologies where patent filings are being made, where are these filings being made, and who is filing them?
28th Jan 2021
Truly global patent specifications are the holy grail for applicants that file around the world. It’s easy to see why. If a specification meets the requirements of all the national patent offices in which protection is going to be sought the application will easier to prosecute and litigate locally and therefore cheaper overall.
28th Jan 2021
A patent provides an exclusive right, for a limited period of time, that can be used to prevent others from making, using, importing, or selling products and/or carrying out processes covered by the patent. This is all well and good for a multinational corporation that has the means to police their patents and sue infringers, but where is the value for smaller innovative companies, such as startups or SMEs, which are unlikely to have the resources to do that? Obtaining patent protection can be expensive and uncertain, so what’s the point?
22nd Jan 2021
On 10 December 2020, Reddie & Grose LLP held the second of our Automotive Round Table series on the topic of Connectivity and Security. As with our inaugural event held in the summer of 2020 (report here), the event brought together members of our in-house AI and Automotive teams, and leading lights from external organisations active in this area.