Podcast Series

Figure 1: an IP conversation

Real stories. Real lessons. The protection your business needs.

Our Podcast Series – Figure 1: An IP Conversation is for anyone who is serious about building their intellectual property (IP).

Whether you are an entrepreneur, a start up company, or represent a corporate enterprise, with this podcast series, we aim to give you huge value and insights into this niche area of law which should help you achieve greater success in the future.

Subscribe on YouTube to Figure 1: an IP conversation for more episodes about maximising innovation, creativity and business growth.

Podcast Index

• Episode 1: Hidden Trade Mark Mistakes That Could Destroy Your Brand, And How To Avoid Them
• Episode 2: Innovation Is Easy. Keeping Hold Of It Isn’t
• Episode 3: The Dark Side Of Social Media No One Warns Business Owners About
• Episode 4: Registered Designs Vs Patents: What’s Actually More Powerful?
• Episode 5: What Happens If Someone Challenges Your Trade Mark?
• Episode 6: MedTech & IP Strategy: How To Protect Innovation And Avoid Costly Mistakes
• Episode 7: Can You Patent AI? The Truth About Artificial Intelligence & Patents
• Episode 8: Trade Mark Opposition: What Every Business Owner Needs To Know
• Episode 9: What Is an IP Audit? The Hidden Risks Every Business Should Know About
• Episode 10: What is a Part 36 Offer? – IP Litigation & Legal Costs Explained
• Episode 11: What does it take to become a Patent Attorney?

Episode 1: Hidden trade mark mistakes that could destroy your brand, and how to avoid them.

With your company and products, it is crucial that you create a brand with value, credibility and longevity.

This first episode in our video podcast series is an in-depth conversation with Katie Oliver, a hugely experienced Trade Mark Attorney. It is a 10 minute conversation that contains a goldmine of valuable Trade Mark information. It will change how you think about intellectual property.

Albright IP’s Managing Director, Robert Games sits down with Trade Mark Attorney Katie Oliver to reveal the unseen risks that can derail a business before it even gets started.

Every founder thinks their brand is safe… until it isn’t.

If you’re naming a business, launching a product, expanding overseas, or building a brand you want people to remember, this is essential listening.

Katie reveals:

• The number one mistake entrepreneurs make when choosing a name
• Why using a brand before registering it can lead to a forced rebrand
• The truth about company names (and why they offer zero real protection)
• How trade mark searches can save you thousands — and your reputation
• What a word mark actually protects vs. a logo or slogan
• The difference between ™ and ® and why it matters
• How to think globally when protecting your brand

Episode 2: Innovation is easy. Keeping hold of it isn’t.

In this episode, Albright IP Managing Director Robert Games is joined by experienced Patent Attorney Will Doherty to explore one of the most overlooked parts of protecting innovation: invention capture.

This is a practical conversation about how innovation really happens inside businesses, and what you need in place to stop it’s value slipping through the cracks. Watch and learn!

Most businesses think patents start with filing; they don’t. They start much earlier, often before anyone realises there’s something worth protecting.

If you’re running an R&D team, developing products at pace, collaborating with partners, or building technical capability inside a growing business, this is essential listening.

William explains:

• What invention capture actually is (and why it has nothing to do with filing patents)
• Why good ideas are so often forgotten, lost or disputed later
• How inventorship mistakes can create serious legal and ownership risks
• The hidden dangers of contractors, collaborators and university partnerships
• Why unintentional disclosure can kill patent rights overnight
• What a good invention disclosure should include (and what people always miss)
• How invention capture supports better patent strategy, not just more patents
• Why culture matters as much as process when it comes to innovation

Episode 3: The dark side of social media no one warns business owners about.

In this episode, Albright IP Managing Director Robert Games is joined by Trade Mark Attorney, James Beeton, to talk about the growing risks businesses face on social media and what can realistically be done about them.

A masterclass episode aimed at founders, marketing teams and growing businesses that want to use social media confidently, without leaving their brand exposed.

Social platforms are now one of the most powerful tools for building a brand, but they’re also an easy entry point for counterfeiters, fake profiles and bad actors looking to exploit established names.

For many SMEs, the challenge isn’t whether infringement is happening, but where to focus time, effort and budget.

James has fantastic experience in brand protection, including his time working in-house at Global brand, Superdry.

This conversation covers:

• The most common forms of abuse, from fake accounts to misleading ads
• How counterfeiters and opportunists use hashtags, keywords and campaigns
• Why registered IP rights make content removal far more effective
• What businesses should monitor and what can usually be ignored
• The importance of evidence, internal processes and clear brand guidelines
• Practical steps SMEs can take to protect themselves without overreacting

Episode 4: Registered Designs vs Patents: What’s Actually More Powerful?

Patents protect how something works. Registered designs protect how it looks.

But in a competitive market, appearance can be just as commercially valuable as technical innovation.

Through practical examples and well-known cases, including the Trunki dispute and Apple’s design battle with Samsung, our latest Figure 1: an IP conversation podcast episode highlights how small decisions at the filing stage can have major consequences years later.

Albright IP Managing Director Robert Games is joined by Frederick Noble, who heads the Albright IP Cornwall office, to explore the role of registered designs in the wider IP landscape, and to ask a provocative question: can registered designs sometimes be more powerful than patents?

This episode is aimed at founders, product designers, in-house teams and growing businesses that want to protect the visual identity of their products properly and avoid costly mistakes.

Frederick explains:

• What registered designs protect (and the limits around technical function)
• Why the images you file completely define your scope of protection
• Lessons from the Trunki case and what went wrong
• How to use multiple filings to strengthen and widen protection
• The 12-month grace period and when it can help
• When to file, and why timing matters if patents are involved
• How infringement is assessed and what “overall impression” really means
• The commercial value of designs compared with unregistered rights

Episode 5: What Happens If Someone Challenges Your Trade Mark?

After a business receives a letter before action challenging their trademark and threatening opposition, they are faced with a difficult decision: withdraw their trade mark application, defend it, or negotiate with the opposer. What would you do in this situation? Using this scenario, this podcast episode unpacks how these disputes arise, what legal rights are in play, and how a strategic response can shape the outcome.

Trade marks don’t just exist on the register, they exist in the real world.

And sometimes, prior use can be just as powerful as a registered right.

Using examples, the episode highlights how gaps in due diligence, broad specifications, and lack of professional advice can quickly lead to conflict, and how those situations can often be resolved without the need for costly escalation.

This episode is aimed at founders, SMEs, and brand owners who want to understand how trade mark disputes work in practice, and how to protect their brand while avoiding unnecessary cost and risk.

Joel walks us through:

• What a letter before action means and how to respond
• The key grounds for opposing a trade mark application
• How prior use can challenge an earlier registered right
• Why the UKIPO only considers registered marks, not marketplace use
• The difference between using a trade mark and owning one
• When withdrawing an application may (and may not) resolve the issue
• How coexistence agreements allow businesses to operate side by side
• Why most disputes settle, and what influences that decision
• The risks of filing a trade mark without professional advice

Episode 6: MedTech & IP Strategy: How to Protect Innovation and Avoid Costly Mistakes

The MedTech sector is fast-moving and highly innovative, but it comes with strict patenting rules and unique challenges. From exclusions around the human body to the growing role of AI and data, protecting innovation in this space requires careful strategy and timing. How do you navigate these issues successfully?

In this episode of Figure 1: an IP conversation, Albright IP Managing Director Robert Games is joined by patent attorney, Dr William Doherty, to unpack one of the most complex areas of intellectual property: medical technology.

The MedTech sector is fast-moving and highly innovative, but it comes with strict patenting rules and unique challenges. From exclusions around the human body to the growing role of AI and data, protecting innovation in this space requires careful strategy and timing.

Through practical insight, the conversation explores how innovators can navigate patent restrictions, avoid disclosure risks, and build a commercially valuable IP portfolio that supports investment and growth.

This episode is ideal for med tech founders, startups, investors and innovators looking to protect their technology, attract funding, and avoid costly IP mistakes.

The episode covers:

• Why certain medical methods and software are excluded from patent protection
• How to structure claims to work around patentability challenges
• What to patent (and when) in early-stage med tech development
• How to manage disclosure risks during clinical trials and research
• Protecting AI and data-driven medical innovations
• The importance of confidentiality agreements and clear ownership terms
• How to avoid disputes in collaborations with hospitals and universities
• Why Freedom to Operate (FTO) searches are critical early on
• How a strong patent portfolio supports funding, valuation and commercial strategy

Episode 7: Can You Patent AI? The Truth About Artificial Intelligence & Patents

This episode explores the legal challenges surrounding AI patents, software patents and computer-implemented inventions. We also cover the recent UK Supreme Court decision in Emotional Perception AI, and what it could mean for businesses, developers, founders and technology companies.

As AI technology, machine learning tools and software-based innovations continue to transform industries, understanding how intellectual property protection applies to these developments has never been more important.

Whether you’re building AI products, developing software, investing in technology, or simply interested in intellectual property, this episode provides practical insight into one of the fastest-moving areas of patent law.

The discussion covers:

• Can AI inventions qualify for patent protection?
• Why software and computer programs face unique patentability challenges
• What does patent law mean by a “technical effect”
• Examples of patentable software innovations
• Why some AI and machine learning inventions succeed while others fail
• The Emotional Perception AI Supreme Court case explained
• How the UK Intellectual Property Office assesses software patent applications
• The differences between UK and European approaches to software patents
• What founders, developers and businesses should consider before filing a patent application

Episode 8: Trade Mark Opposition: What Every Business Owner Needs to Know

If you’re a founder, SME, brand owner or IP professional, this second episode of Season 2 of Figure 1: an IP conversation offers valuable guidance on protecting your trade marks and making informed commercial decisions during opposition proceedings.

Should you fight, settle or withdraw?

The episode covers:

• What the latest UKIPO trade mark opposition statistics reveal
• Why most trade mark oppositions settle before a decision
• Whether it’s better to fight, negotiate or withdraw
• How the UKIPO assesses likelihood of confusion
• The BMW v BMU trade mark opposition explained
• Why evidence of trade mark use is so important
• How enhanced distinctiveness can strengthen your case
• Practical advice for businesses involved in trade mark disputes

Episode 9: What Is an IP Audit? The Hidden Risks Every Business Should Know About

If you’re a founder, SME, brand owner or IP professional, this third episode of Season 2 of Figure 1: an IP conversation explains what an IP Audit is, why it can boost the value of your business, and what to expect if you undertake an IP Audit.

This video explains all about IP Audits: what it is, what it can give your business, what IP you might be missing out on, and how to setup internal processes within your business to capture valuable IP.

The episode covers:

• What an IP audit is and why businesses should carry one out
• How an IP audit identifies gaps in patents, trade marks, registered designs and copyright
• Why SMEs benefit from reviewing their intellectual property strategy
• Common IP risks businesses often overlook
• Missing assignment agreements and ownership of intellectual property
• How competitor analysis forms part of an effective IP audit
• The role of patents, trade marks and design rights in business growth
• How an IP audit supports long-term commercial strategy
• What information businesses need before an IP audit
• The practical recommendations businesses receive after an audit
• How an IP audit can uncover hidden commercial opportunities
• Why proactive IP management helps reduce future legal and commercial risks

Episode 10: What is a Part 36 Offer? – IP Litigation & Legal Costs Explained

If you’re a founder, SME, brand owner or IP professional, this tenth episode of Season 2 of Figure 1: an IP conversation explains Part 36 offers, how they work, and why they can be such an important strategic tool in intellectual property disputes.

This month, we have a fascinating conversation between Robert Games, Albright IP’s Managing Director, and a return visit by Freddie Noble, Patent Attorney and Director of Albright IP, to explore what is a Part 36 offer? How can a Part 36 offer affect legal costs? And why might accepting, rejecting or failing to beat an offer have significant financial consequences in an IP dispute?

Robert and Freddie explain the principles behind Part 36 offers using a rugby analogy to show how these offers can effectively “move the goalposts” when it comes to assessing the outcome of litigation and the costs that follow.

The episode covers:

• What is a Part 36 offer?
• How Part 36 offers work under the Civil Procedure Rules
• Why Part 36 offers are important in litigation
• How Part 36 offers can encourage parties to settle before trial
• The difference between standard basis and indemnity basis costs
• How a claimant can use a Part 36 offer strategically
• How a defendant can use a Part 36 offer to put pressure on a claimant
• What happens if a claimant beats their own Part 36 offer
• What happens if a claimant fails to beat a defendant’s Part 36 offer
• Why the 21-day relevant period matters
• The potential cost consequences of accepting or rejecting a Part 36 offer
• How Part 36 offers can affect costs following judgment
• Why the timing of a Part 36 offer can be important
• How Part 36 offers can be used in patent and trade mark disputes
• The risks of failing to properly consider an opponent’s Part 36 offer
• How settlement strategy can help manage litigation costs
• Why Part 36 offers need to be carefully considered as part of wider litigation strategy

Episode 11: What Does It Take to Become a Patent Attorney?

Do you have an engineering or science degree? Are you fascinated by new product designs and technical developments? What to train you to become a highly-qualified and expert Patent Attorney, so you can help inventors, entrepreneurs and innovative businesses legally protect their cutting-edge ideas and innovations this final episode of Season 2 of Figure 1: an IP conversation explains the qualifications, skills and experience needed to become a patent attorney in the UK and Europe.

This month, we have a fascinating conversation between Robert Games, Albright IP’s Managing Director, and Charlie Heal, an Albright IP Patent Attorney, to discuss what degree do you need to become a patent attorney? Do you need to study law? How difficult are the patent attorney exams? And what happens after you qualify?

Robert and Charlie discuss the legal training involved, the UK qualification process, the foundation and final exams, and the skills needed to succeed in the profession.

The episode covers:

• What does a patent attorney do?
• What qualifications do you need to become a patent attorney?
• Why patent attorneys need a STEM background
• Do you need a law degree to become a patent attorney?
• Why technical knowledge is important in patent law
• How patent attorneys understand and explain inventions
• How to draft an effective patent application
• The UK patent attorney qualification process
• Patent attorney foundation exams
• Patent attorney final exams
• Why the patent attorney exams are challenging
• The skills needed to become a patent attorney
• Communication and client skills
• The importance of taking feedback and criticism
• Patent attorney regulation and IPReg
• Professional conduct and ongoing suitability
• How to qualify as a European patent attorney
• The European patent attorney examination process
• The differences between UK and European patent attorney qualifications
• Continuing professional development for patent attorneys
• Keeping up with developments in patent law and case law

Robert Games and all the team at Albright IP would welcome any questions or enquiries about the topics of our Video Podcasts or IP in general. Please do get in touch by telephone: +44 (0) 1242 691 801, by email: info@albright-ip.co.uk, or by using the Contact Form below and we will be happy to advise and guide you.