Understanding IP Matters: Recent Episodes

The Center For Intellectual Property Understanding

‘Understanding IP Matters’ is a podcast series that enables successful creators and entrepreneurs to share their invention, brand or content story. The series is brought to you by the Center for Intellectual Property Understanding, an independent non-profit. CIPU provides outreach within an educational framework to improve IP literacy and promote sharing.

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Character licensing is a $370 billion global industry — and most people have never heard of it. Bruce Berman sits down with David Born, CEO of Born Licensing and one of the world's leading experts in character and IP licensing for advertising. From placing Buddy the Elf in a UK supermarket ad to helping Geico license Angry Birds, David breaks down how brands use intellectual property to create instant emotional recognition in marketing campaigns. He explains how licensing deals are structured and valued, how licensors protect their brands from overexposure, and why smaller or emerging characters can actually offer better ROI than the hottest properties. David also shares how he built Born Licensing into one of the fastest-growing companies in Europe without any formal legal training — and why he thinks licensing is the most underrated business skill in the world.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Character licensing is a $370 billion global industry that most consumers interact with daily without realizing it.
  • Brands license IP in advertising through multiple methods — placing characters in ads, using existing footage, recreating iconic scenes, or rotoscoping characters from original films.
  • Licensing fees are determined by scope: territory, term, media channels, and usage type all factor into the final value of a deal.
  • Top-tier licensors like Disney and Marvel are extremely selective about who they work with — protecting brand equity is a higher priority than volume of deals.
  • Lesser-known or dormant characters can offer better commercial terms and faster approval processes, making them attractive for companies new to licensing.
  • David Born built Born Licensing into an FT 1000 fastest-growing European company by filling a gap no one else was serving: helping ad agencies navigate IP licensing.
  • Consumers will pay more for licensed products — the brand association adds perceived premium value that can offset royalty costs.
  • AI presents both opportunities and challenges for the licensing world, with major licensors still uncertain about how to embrace it without compromising IP protection.
  • Without formal legal training, David relies on deep industry experience, strong licensor relationships, and his lawyer sister for more complex legal questions.
  • The best measure of a successful licensing campaign is authentic fan response — when fans love seeing their character used well, it's a win for everyone.

Learn more about CIPU: understandingip.org
Born Licensing: bornlicensing.com
Born to License Podcast: Search "Born to License" on your podcast app

Understanding IP Matters is produced by the Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU). Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.

00:00 - Introduction & guest welcome
02:13 - How character licensing entered David's life
04:33 - Who listens to Understanding IP Matters
05:15 - Types of IP licensing in advertising
07:05 - How licensing deals are valued
08:35 - Geico x Angry Birds case study
09:08 - Measuring campaign success
11:07 - Born Licensing's two business divisions
12:39 - Major vs. lesser-known characters
15:22 - Brand equity and saying no to deals
17:29 - Operating without a legal background
19:15 - Compensation and equity structures
20:11 - FT 1000 fastest-growing company recognition
21:39 - Filtering opportunities for licensors
22:59 - Born to License podcast
24:44 - Lessons for tech and content licensing
25:29 - The cost and value of licensing
27:40 - AI and the future of character licensing
31:31 - Content authenticity and IP tracking
32:32 - David's first awareness of IP
33:50 - Final thoughts for listeners

Support the show

Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org

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Protecting intellectual property at a university should come before sharing it

Ian McClure, Vice President of Research and Innovation at the University of Kentucky, makes the case that intellectual property isn't a barrier to innovation — it's the scaffolding that makes innovation possible. In a wide-ranging conversation with host Bruce Berman, Ian discusses how UK is leading a $200 million AI transformation strategy, why spinning out startups generates 50% more local economic impact than publishing alone, and how universities must evolve their promotion and tenure systems to truly reward innovation.

Drawing on his background in M&A law, IP transactions, and his tenure as president of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), Ian brings a rare combination of legal, commercial, and academic expertise to every topic — from the ethics of AI adoption to the practical challenge of getting researchers to file a provisional patent before they publish.

Key Takeaways

  • Spinning out a startup from university research generates 50% more local economic impact than publishing alone without IP protection.
  • The value of intellectual property exists if — and only to the extent — it is enforceable. Willingness to enforce matters as much as the scope of the patent.
  • Universities are uniquely positioned to study AI adoption because they host every level of sophistication, from first-generation students to decades-experienced AI researchers.
  • UK's Commonwealth AI Transdisciplinary Strategy (CATS AI) is a $200 million, three-to-five-year holistic framework for preparing an entire institution for the AI era.
  • Startup IP strategy is central to tech transfer: IP protection attracts outside capital, creates jobs, and keeps economic benefits local.
  • The promotion and tenure system at most universities still biases researchers toward publication over patenting — and changing those incentives is a major needle-mover.
  • AI is accelerating the pace of drug discovery and research, compressing timelines that once took years into months.
  • IP is the necessary governance layer that enables responsible AI innovation without stifling it the way premature over-regulation might.
  • Universities must balance curiosity-driven basic research with use-inspired research that responds to state and industry needs.
  • Fear of AI is valid and must be acknowledged — but institutions need structured, flexible frameworks to help every stakeholder move forward.

00:00 Introduction & opening quote
02:06 Ian's role at University of Kentucky
02:34 Challenges of AI adoption at a research university
05:30 The CATS AI strategy: origins and scope
08:00 How UK measures success across the institution
11:54 Addressing fear and resistance around AI
13:44 IP challenges at the intersection of AI and research
17:43 Licensing AI tools and IP as innovation scaffolding
21:42 UK's Microsoft Copilot partnership explained
22:09 Choosing an enterprise AI partner
25:38 Key concerns for tech transfer executives today
28:27 The case for university spin-outs
31:15 Why researchers resist filing patents before publishing
32:26 Reforming promotion and tenure to reward innovation
35:47 Enforceability: the mantra Ian teaches in law school
38:16 Balancing basic research with industry-responsive research
41:25 Ian's first encounter with IP: a merger that fell apart
43:31 Final thoughts: IP, AI, and embracing the transformation era

Support the show

Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org

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Danny Marti has navigated IP from the Obama White House to the boardrooms of some of the world's most powerful companies. As President Obama's intellectual property enforcement coordinator — the so-called "IP czar" — Danny helped shape a whole-of-government approach to IP strategy. Today, as Head of Public Affairs and Global Policy at Tencent, he oversees IP protection for the world's largest trademark filer and one of the top holders of AI patents globally.

This conversation covers Tencent's remarkable transformation of music piracy in China, how the company built Weixin's crowdsourced IP enforcement platform, and why understanding the problem before reaching for a solution is the most underrated skill in IP — or any other field.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Tencent is the world's largest trademark filer, operating a truly global portfolio across dozens of countries and product categories.
  2. China's music piracy rate dropped from roughly 97% to 2-3% in under a decade, driven largely by Tencent's investment in licensed streaming and aggressive enforcement.
  3. The Weixin Brand Protection Platform (Weishen) allows any user — not just rights holders — to report IP infringement, crowdsourcing enforcement at scale.
  4. Danny's time as IP czar centered on a whole-of-government IP strategy, coordinating more than a dozen departments, offices, and agencies.
  5. Tencent holds among the largest portfolios of AI patents of any company globally and is shifting focus toward agentic AI beyond generative models.
  6. Global video game development requires deep localization — culture, color, humor, and gameplay mechanics all vary significantly by region.
  7. IP laws have historically proven resilient in adapting to new technologies, but the speed and scale of AI may test that resilience in new ways.
  8. Existing copyright and trademark frameworks still apply meaningfully in the AI era; new regulation may be needed but isn't inevitable.
  9. Danny's IP origin story began as a poetry fellow and intern at the USPTO — a reminder that IP touches creative fields from the start.
  10. The core lesson Danny carries from the Situation Room: spend time understanding the full scope of a problem before proposing solutions.

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Content provided is for informational purposes only and does not represent the views of CIPU or its affiliates.

00:00 - Cold open: The Situation Room and IP
01:32 - Why Tencent isn't a US household name
05:35 - Danny's role and Tencent's IP portfolio
07:00 - Largest trademark filer in the world
08:30 - Tencent's AI patent strategy
10:55 - Copyright evolution in China
12:00 - Music piracy transformation
14:10 - Life as the Obama White House IP czar
17:59 - Whole-of-government IP strategy
21:01 - Government to global industry
22:35 - IP challenges at RELX and LexisNexis
27:21 - Protecting value-added content
28:33 - Global gaming and localization
32:33 - The Weixin Brand Protection Platform
35:07 - Why users self-report IP violations
37:51 - Agentic AI and the future of IP law
39:16 - Will AI require new regulation?
41:53 - Danny's IP origin story
44:13 - Understand the problem first

Support the show

Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org

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Laura Peters provides rare perspective to intellectual property awareness, having served as Deputy Director at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office under Andre Iancu before becoming Executive Director of Research at UNC Charlotte. She tackles persistent misconceptions about patents in university settings, where publication incentives often overshadow commercialization opportunities.

Peters explains how patents function as temporary greenhouses for innovators—protecting ideas for 20 years before releasing them to public knowledge. Her work focuses on helping researchers understand that intellectual property extends far beyond patents and that securing rights doesn't conflict with open knowledge principles.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Universities reward publications over patents, creating commercialization barriers
  • Researchers often conflate all IP rights with patents, missing broader protections
  • Open knowledge advocates can still benefit from patent rights and public dedication
  • Patents publish after 18 months, contributing to collective innovation knowledge
  • Trade secrets are rising as patent uncertainty increases in AI and other sectors
  • Subject matter eligibility reforms could strengthen innovation protection
  • University culture change requires extensive education and community building
  • Patents preserve innovator legacy across global innovation records

Support the show

Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org

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Wayne Stacy brings a unique perspective from his role as executive director of Berkeley Center for Law and Technology. From his early days as a patent litigator to directing the Silicon Valley USPTO office and earning a Fulbright to work in Nepal, Wayne has witnessed dramatic changes in how technology affects legal practice. This conversation explores how AI is transforming legal education, the evolution of patent litigation costs, and why future lawyers need different skills than previous generations.

Key Takeaways:

  • AI enables lawyers to focus on higher-value work by automating routine tasks
  • Legal education must teach AI integration rather than AI avoidance
  • Cross-disciplinary collaboration between law and engineering drives innovation policy
  • Future lawyers need policy development skills alongside traditional legal training
  • Berkeley's position in Silicon Valley creates unique opportunities for public discussions
  • Entry-level lawyers must scale up capabilities to remain relevant in AI era

Support the show

Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org

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Why do many businesses prefer lawsuits over licensing deals — and what does IP capital mean for innovation?

Phil Hartstein, co-founder of Soryn IP Capital and former CEO of Finjan Holdings, shares insights from orchestrating almost $500 million in licensing deals. He explains why patent licensing has shifted from corporate boardrooms to courtrooms, and discusses the economics of patent enforcement, the role of litigation finance in supporting legitimate innovators, and how AI is transforming IP strategy.

Phil reveals what makes patents valuable, why most portfolios contain only single-digit percentages of enforceable assets, and his perspective on patent monetization as a strategic responsibility rather than defensive last resort.

Key Takeaways:

  • Most patent portfolios derive value from only single-digit percentages of total assets
  • Corporate defendants now manage 50-100 active patent lawsuits simultaneously
  • Patent litigation costs range from $2-20+ million and take 3-5+ years to resolve
  • Licensing discussions once happened in boardrooms over 9-12 month periods
  • Modern product cycles compress multiple technology clusters into shorter timeframes
  • IP capital helps innovators compete against well-funded corporate defendants
  • AI tools like ChatGPT are transforming patent analysis and claim construction workflows
  • Patent monetization strengthens both business balance sheets and the broader innovation ecosystem
  • The U.S. patent system's constitutional foundation drives American technology development
  • Strategic patent enforcement requires demonstrating credibility, capability, and resources

About the Guest:

Phil Hartstein is a technology investor, inventor, and intellectual property strategist. He co-founded Soryn IP Capital and previously served as CEO of Finjan Holdings, a public company now owned by Fortress. At Finjen, he oversaw licensing and enforcement of pioneering cybersecurity patents, orchestrating more than $300 million in licensing deals. Phil holds more than two dozen pending and issued patents and has been twice recognized as a top 40 IP dealmaker.

00:00 - Introduction to Phil Hartstein
01:44 - Why companies prefer lawsuits to licenses
03:03 - Boardroom licensing era vs today
04:16 - Soryn IP Capital's role in leveling field
06:35 - Corporate litigation dockets explained
08:47 - Patent lawsuit economics and timelines
10:23 - Funding plaintiffs vs bad actors debate
13:10 - Making capital available for innovators
15:36 - Patent quality and portfolio value
18:07 - Supreme Court's Unwired Planet decision
20:16 - The Alice decision's ongoing impact
23:40 - Patent valuation and market adoption
26:25 - PTAB's role in patent examination
29:14 - Working with litigation finance
31:40 - Evaluating patent portfolio strength
34:22 - International IP enforcement landscape
37:08 - Germany's patent system advantages
39:30 - AI's impact on patent prosecution
42:42 - Racing vintage cars as analog escape
44:40 - Patent monetization as strategic duty

Support the show

Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org

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Allison Gaul, senior counsel at BCG-X, an invention development and commercialization company, discusses the evolving AI landscape, where intellectual awareness meets real-world strategy.

As both a former patent examiner and litigator with a Harvard graduate degree in business analytics, she offers insider perspectives on how companies secure IP rights, why investors now prioritize AI risk policies, and how open source licensing drives market adoption.

The conversation explores copyrighted training data challenges, how small learning models compete with foundational LLMs, and why publicly available doesn't mean free to use. Gaul shares practical IP protection strategies for startups and established companies navigating content attribution, energy-efficient blockchain solutions, and the misconceptions engineers hold about software patents.

Key Takeaways:
• Small, targeted-use models (SLMs) trained on specific datasets are gaining traction because of their relevance and efficiency
• Investors are now scrutinizing AI startup' risk and compliance policies more carefully
• Open source licensing has become a significant tool for capturing market share
• Publicly available content is not automatically free to use; not all LLMs ascribe to this
• Blockchain offers potentially reliable solutions for IP tracking despite energy concerns
• IP and AI strategy require balancing innovation with responsible ethics
• Gen AI adoption began with easy productivity wins across industries
• Businesses that are mindful of AI risk are in a better position to attract capital

Subscribe to Understanding IP Matters on your preferred platform or visit understandingip.org for more episodes exploring intellectual property with leading innovators and experts.

00:00 - Introduction to Allison Gaul
01:07 - AI race and investor expectations
02:36 - Risk policies investors demand
03:01 - How companies leverage Gen AI
04:21 - Working with foundational model providers
05:34 - Day in the life of a product attorney
06:40 - Multi-dimensional AI competition
08:34 - Open source as market strategy
09:10 - Small learning models vs LLMs
11:02 - Copyright challenges in AI training
13:29 - Content attribution and data rights
15:41 - Licensing deals and fair use debate
17:34 - Legal frameworks catching up
19:20 - Transparency in AI systems
21:25 - Attribution standards discussion
23:38 - Geographic variations in AI law
25:44 - EU regulations and global impact
27:50 - Cross-border compliance challenges
29:33 - Energy concerns in AI development
31:18 - IP education for engineers
33:11 - Patents in software development
35:27 - Ethical IP strategy and responsibility
37:54 - Patent troll misconceptions
39:50 - Attribution vs permission clarified
40:54 - Blockchain solutions and limitations
42:08 - First exposure to IP rights

Support the show

Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org

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When creativity meets intellectual property, innovation has no boundaries.

Eric Bear has licensed intellectual property to all major U.S. studios and Fortune 500 companies while maintaining a successful acting career. With over 100 patents covering software and video technology, Eric's seamless expansion invention was popularized by The Matrix and licensed to Disney, Fox, and other major studios. This conversation explores how he balances roles as inventor, entrepreneur, actor, and university professor while navigating patent litigation and startup IP protection. Discover how unconventional career paths can drive business trademark protection and commercial success.

Key Takeaways:

  • How Eric licensed technology to all major Hollywood studios
  • The connection between acting, invention, and entrepreneurial thinking
  • Navigating patent litigation while maintaining creative pursuits
  • Building companies around intellectual property course principles
  • The role of performance capture technology in modern filmmaking
  • Protecting IP rights while collaborating with Fortune 500 companies
  • Career advice for young creators balancing art and business
  • How AI impacts creative industries and performer rights
  • The importance of following passion over financial incentives
  • Screen Actors Guild protections for digital likeness rights

Support the show

Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org

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Ruth Vitale, Oscar-winning producer and CEO of Creative Future, reveals the devastating impact of copyright piracy on America's entertainment workforce. Piracy costs the economy up to $71 billion annually and threatens 560,000 jobs across film and television. Ruth explains how small business IP protection matters for the 122,000 companies serving Hollywood, why copyright law basics must evolve for the digital age, and what IP protection strategies could save the industry. From malware risks on pirate sites to AI's threat to actor rights, this conversation exposes hard truths about intellectual property education and the urgent need for site blocking legislation.

Key Takeaways:

  • Piracy costs the US economy between $29 to 71 billion annually
  • Film and television employ 2.3 million Americans (down from 2.7 million)
  • 92% of entertainment businesses employ fewer than 10 people
  • Google receives 58 million takedown requests weekly—yet pirate sites flourish
  • 60 countries have site blocking laws; the US does not
  • Visiting pirate sites carries a 30%+ risk of downloading malware
  • Movie theaters keep 50% of box office revenue
  • Average entertainment industry salary: $141,000 vs $94,000 nationally
  • Independent filmmakers finance projects with credit cards, can lose everything to piracy
  • AI companies train models on copyrighted content without permission

Listen to discover how intellectual property course advocates like Ruth are fighting to protect creative workers and why copyright training matters for every entrepreneur.

Support the show

Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org

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Award-winning educator and IP advocate Daryl Lim joins Bruce Berman to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and intellectual property education. Broadcasting from Singapore, Daryl shares his global perspective on how AI is reshaping IP frameworks, from the $1.5 billion Anthropic settlement to the emergence of new data rights. This conversation examines IP leadership challenges, the role of blockchain in patent processes, and why marginalized communities need better access to intellectual property protection. Daryl discusses China's rapid IP development, the importance of equity by design in technology governance, and practical startup IP strategies for navigating an increasingly complex landscape.

Key Takeaways:

  • AI and IP rights are fundamentally interconnected and evolving together
  • The $1.5 billion Anthropic case settlement sets precedent at $3,000 per book
  • IP leadership requires moving ahead of trends, not following them
  • China has transformed from IP pirate nation to major player in 20 years
  • Blockchain technology can reduce friction in IP transactions
  • Universities became IP believers after the Bayh-Dole Act enabled monetization
  • Content creators must embrace technology as ally, not enemy
  • Government frameworks should align AI development with societal values
  • Patent education and copyright training need to be more inclusive
  • Small creators need better tools to participate in large-scale licensing

Support the show

Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org

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Join host Bruce Berman for an illuminating conversation with Henry Hadad, Head of Intellectual Property Rights at Bristol-Myers Squibb. This episode explores how intellectual property education and strong patent protection drive medical breakthroughs while addressing common misconceptions about IP rights.

Hadad shares his unique journey from a creative family background—his uncle wrote disco classics like "It's Raining Men"—to becoming a leading voice in pharmaceutical patent strategy. Learn how the patent process explained through real-world examples demonstrates why IP protection strategies are essential for developing life-saving treatments. Discover insights on startup IP challenges, the role of university research, and why patent basics matter more than ever in our innovation-driven economy.

Key Takeaways:

  • Strong patent systems drive innovation by providing investment certainty
  • University research partnerships create vital public-private innovation bridges
  • Patent licensing enables smaller inventors to monetize their discoveries
  • AI-generated inventions pose new challenges for patent eligibility
  • China's improving IP system creates competitive pressure for US innovation
  • Clear communication about IP benefits counters harmful misconceptions
  • Patent certainty affects venture capital investment decisions
  • Pharmaceutical patents enable continued research into new disease indications

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Michael Cima is a researcher, inventor and entrepreneur who has spent 40-years creating advanced medical devices that focus on diagnostics and treatments for cancer, metabolic diseases and trauma. He is also devoted educator mentoring the next generation of creators about the broad benefits of IP rights.

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Julie Zerbo is an editor, lawyer and business analyst who covers the business of fashion, including its evolving use of licensing and IP rights.

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Author Jonathan Barnett argues that tilting the IP playing field to the benefit of the biggest companies is a much greater threat to innovation, business and democracy than we are willing to admit.

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Brandie Nonnecke heads the CITRIS Policy Lab, a tech research center at UC Berkeley that focuses on IT and deep tech and explores topical issues, including personal data privacy, digital access equity, AI bias, and the influence of social media on democracy.

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Dr. Bertley is a nine-time Emmy Award winning educator who believes that inventions and creative expression are for everyone, from school age children to leading research institutions. Science, technology, engineering, arts, math (STEAM) are his passion. As CEO of the leading U.S. science museum, Center for Science & Indusry (COSI), he is living it.

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Arguably the most successful USPTO Director, Andrei Iancu, worries that fear of an AI apocalyps are over blown and that too much regulation could be a bigger threat to the U.S.'s ability to compete than too little

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A leading patent market expert explains how the ennactment of bi-partisan IP legislation before Congress can help inventions to become more meaningful.

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Adobe, NYT and Twitter-lead initiative uses open source software to track image origination and changes to spot fakes and prevent abuse.

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IP's leading historian and policy expert says the U.S. is undermining the model innovation rights system that it layed the foundation for in the U.S. Constitution.

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Boundary-breaking indie songwriter and cultural critic, Elizabeth Nelson, says streaming and AI threaten working musicians and hurt listeners, too.

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Bullies couldn't stop Akeem, nor clinical depression. He gets his strength from connecting with people. Snoop Dogg called him a marketing genius.

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James started out as a math whiz, who loved games and calculating risk. That led him to problem-solving and 780 U.S. patents.

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"Once the 'human' education of an AI-driven device is completed, the machine will learn on its own," says Dr. Alan C. Nelson, cancer diagnostics developer with 142 patents and 30 years AI experience. "It becomes way smarter and quicker-thinking than the teacher."

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Multi-Grammy Award winner, inventor and CEO of Intertrust Technologies use innovative technology to authenticate and track content and IP. More creative expression means faster speed, greater value and digital management challenges. Keeping up will never be the same.

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Two leading educators address gaps in IP understanding and the need for more and better IP awareness among all students.

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Design patents are less patents than trademarks with copyright qualities. Their importance has grown not only because of the distinctive look and feel of new products, but because of their functionality. IP licensing and legal experts, Brian Hinmand and Elizabeth Ferrill, tell UIPM listeners why DPs work best in a portfolio of IP rights.

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U.S. tech leadership is slipping away. Uncertain and easily infringed IP rights are a major reason. How can the nation get back its creation mojo? Two experts, one a successful invento and the other a ex-ITC Commissioner tell us.

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Digitalization and, now, A.I. have changed our see of the world. Prof Casey offers a fresh perspective on copyright, ethics and IP awareness delivered in a manner resonates with a wide range of audiences and ages.

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Once an income generator for large companies and independent inventors alike, patent licensing has fallen victim to over-correction. Its impact is only beginning to be felt.

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After more than 40 years of successful public-privtate partnerships, universities and businesses are still fighting to maintain the opportunities provided by the Bayh-Dole Act.

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Tool or weapon? Generative AI has recently opened a new world of opportunity and danger. For creators, consumers and society using AI queries fairly is no simple matter.

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Teaching intellectual property rights is no easy feat. Teaching about them meaningfully to students, entrepreneurs, business majors and others is a challenge. Join ‘Understanding IP Matters’ for a special episode, featuring two IP education champions, one an inventor, with decades of experience teaching IP to a range of students and creators and a load of suggestions. 

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Investing today means taking a stake in company-defining rights, like patents, copyright and trademarks. Technology and product investors are IP investors - even if many do not realize it. Who are they? How do they measure success? What do they mean to innovation?

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Inventor, author and entrepreneur Arlyne Simon says creative problem solving should be the foundation for every child's education. The earlier the better. The Intel Corporation biomedical engineer believes failure is a part of every invention's success, and that we need to learn how to fail to succeed.

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U.S. innovation the foundation of its history and success. To compete successfully in today's global economy two experts – one, the most cited business scholar - suggest that the nation will need to do a better job on innovation policy and value capture. The fate of the U.S. hangs in the balance.

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Stephen Key is a unique inventor and entrepreneur. He is also an licensing educator with thousands of students in more than 65 countries. His approach targets companies with an “open innovation” platform. These businesses, Key says, are hungry for new ideas and how to build and market them, whether they are patented or not. His product endorsers have included celebrities from Michael Jordan to Taylor Swift.  

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Songwriter and copyright activist, David Lowery, led a class action against Spotify for failure to pay songwriters and publishers fairly. He won a $43 million settlement. Copyright is not only about creator survival, it is about who gets to determine what is creative and what and how the market values it. 

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Two veteran IP journalists look at coverage of patent and other IP disputes and legislation. Are reporters sufficiently informed to write about IP developments? Can their sources and the publications they work unwittingly impede the accuracy of their coverage?

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Some technology companies embrace inventions and patents but other just stockpile them, more out of fear for how they may disrupt their leadership position. Some investors regard IP rights positively; others do not. After massive legislative and judicial weakening can patents still be relied upon to help generate reasonable returns? Veteran VC and technology investor Gary Lauder weighs in from Aspen. 

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National Science Foundation research shows that many R&D-oriented companies believe that trade secrets are more important than patents and copyrights. How did this happen and why are trade secrets growing in importance? Also, what do creators, employees and businesses need to know about trade secrets to compete. 

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Sam Ewen, head of CoinDesk Studios, discusses the various intersections of brand and virtual property in the digital age.

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Spinal surgeon and inventor, Gary Michelson, has generated 992 patents. The billionaire philanthropist is devoting his time and portion of his giving to an innovative approach to IP education for all.

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As a 27-yearold Tiffany Norwood did something no other entrepreneur or inventor had accomplished: she raised $670 million dollars to fund a startup and build the first-ever global digital radio platform and launch three satellites into space. Norwood, who is one of the first successful black female tech entrepreneurs, is Founder and CEO of Tribetan an EdTech company focused on teaching entrepreneurship, innovation, and practical creativity to everyone.

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Film producer, Wall Street dealmaker and ex-Bob Dylan tour manager Jonathan Taplin says we need to treat content and content creators better or pay the cost.

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Award-winning inventor Dan Brown on how his successful ‘Bionic Wrench’ was knocked off by the largest U.S. retailer and the patent battle that he both won and lost.

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Chief Innovation Officer Brian Hinman explains the importance of linking invention goals to business strategy, and what it means for investment returns.

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This podcast features the last of four panels from the 2021 IP Awareness Summit, held with Northwestern Kellogg School of Management. The panel looks at how poor understanding of what IP assets and intellectual capital are and how they provide return on investment affects the value. Is there a premium on ‘IP consciousness’?

To watch the video version of Day Two of IPAS click here.

For more information about CIPU, please visit understandingip.org.

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This podcast features the third of four panels from the 2021 IP Awareness Summit, held in conjunction with the Kellogg School of Management.

The panel of experts looks at how students learn about IP, and from whom, varies widely by school, department and educator. What can business and other schools do to provide students what the IP understanding they need? (CIPU’s Business School Report is introduced.)

To watch the video version of Day Two of IPAS click here.

For more information about CIPU, please visit understandingip.org.

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This podcast features the second of four panels from the 2021 IP Awareness Summit.

The panel of IP experts looks at how in less than two decades China has gone from an emerging innovator with few IP rights to a global leader. How has China’s emergence and use of IP changed the global innovation landscape?

To watch the video version of day 1 of IPAS click here.

For more information about CIPU, please visit understandingip.org.

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This podcast features the first of four panels from the 2021 IP Awareness Summit, a webinar event held with Northwestern Kellogg School of Management. The panel looks at how American successes in innovation, the arts and brands are tied to the IP system – and if the system is equally effective when it comes to independent and minority inventors, creators and entrepreneurs.

To watch the video version of day 1 of IPAS click here.

For more information about CIPU, please visit understandingip.org.

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This podcast is part two of “Living with the Impact of Covid-19.” It looks at the role of IP rights in developing work-life solutions. It is part of an event held with the Institute for Business Innovation at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. 

To watch the video version of this podcast click here.

For more information about CIPU, please visit out website at understandingip.org.

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This podcast is part one of “Living with the Impact of Covid-19.” It looks at the role of IP rights in identifying work-life solutions. It is part of an event held with the Institute for Business Innovation at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

To watch the video version of this podcast click here.

For more information about CIPU, please visit out website at understandingip.org.