Talk IP to me

What patent examiners actually want to see in your application (Carl Hamsten) | Talk IP to me Ep. 8

Carl Hamsten is a patent examiner, specialised in biotechnology at the Swedish Intellectual Property Office (PRV) and is also connected to PRV Consulting, which provides patent search services including novelty searches, FTOs, and validity searches. In this episode, Carl joins David Breitenbach (CCO, PatentRenewal.com [http://patentrenewal.com/]) to explain what patent examiners actually do, how inventors can prepare stronger patent applications, why novelty searches matter much earlier than most people think, and what Sweden gets right when it comes to innovation, research, and IP awareness. In this episode, you’ll learn: ◼️ What a patent examiner actually does day to day ◼️ What PRV Consulting does - and the one thing it deliberately doesn't do ◼️ How to prepare a strong application before you even file ◼️ Why a novelty search is one of the most underused tools in an innovator's arsenal ◼️ How patent information can help with R&D, market research, and competitor mapping ◼️ What makes a patent application stronger from an examiner’s perspective ◼️ Why Sweden ranks #2 in WIPO's Global Innovation Index ◼️ What the "teacher's exemption" is and why it fuels Swedish life science ◼️ Why treating a patent as a checkbox is the most common mistake Carl sees 00:00 Intro 01:08 What Carl actually does as a patent examiner - and what PRV Consulting is 03:08 What happens when an application lands on Carl's desk 05:12 Why examiners want to grant strong patents - not just reject 06:27 How to prepare before filing - and why novelty searches matter early 09:03 How patent search results help R&D, strategy, and competitor mapping 11:27 The challenge of searching through 160 million patent documents 13:13 How PRV works with EPO tools and databases 14:13 Sweden as a country of innovation 16:31 The teacher's exemption and why it matters in Sweden 18:38 Biotech success stories and university spinouts 20:24 Why IP education should start earlier in universities 22:44 Novelty, inventiveness, and what applicants need to prove 24:49 Rapid fire: the best and worst parts of being a patent examiner 26:00 The IP myth Carl would retire forever 27:43 Why raising IP awareness earlier matters - and why publishing too early can hurt you 30:35 Should you start nationally or go straight to PCT/EPO? 33:01 Carl's final message: IP should always be on the table Follow Carl https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-hamsten-3979451/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-hamsten-3979451/] PRV - Swedish Intellectual Property Office https://www.prv.se/en/ [https://www.prv.se/en/] PRV Consulting https://www.prv.se/en/prv-consulting/ [https://www.prv.se/en/prv-consulting/] Join PatentRenewal.com [http://patentrenewal.com/]’s circle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/patentrenewalcom [https://www.linkedin.com/company/patentrenewalcom] Follow David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-breitenbach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-breitenbach/] GET IN TOUCH Our website: https://patentrenewal.com/ [https://patentrenewal.com/] About us At PatentRenewal.com [http://patentrenewal.com/], we believe IP renewals should be simple, transparent, and stress-free. We care about innovation and about making IP easier to understand and easier to use. That’s why we created Talk IP to me, the podcast that brings fresh conversations to the world of intellectual property. In each episode, innovators, IP experts, founders, and legal minds share real stories, hard-won lessons, and practical insights you can actually apply in your work. Our goal is simple: make IP feel human, practical, and accessible.

Standard Essential Patents, AI & the future of global IP law (András Jókúti) | Talk IP to me Ep. 7

András Jókúti is the Director of the Patent and Technology Law Division at WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organization). Before joining WIPO in Geneva, András served as Director-General for Legal Affairs at the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office and worked across ministries and universities as an IP legal advisor. In this episode, András joins David Breitenbach (CCO, PatentRenewal.com) to break down how WIPO actually works in practice - why the patent system is under real pressure from AI, what the global IP community is (and isn't) doing about it, and why Standard Essential Patents are quietly becoming one of the most contested areas in IP today. In this episode, you’ll learn: ◼️ Why “IP is not a value in itself”, and what it’s actually for ◼️ WIPO’s four pillars: awareness, policy/soft law, global infrastructure (like PCT), and stakeholder empowerment ◼️ AI + patents in three angles: AI as part of the invention, AI-assisted invention, and AI used by patent offices ◼️ The real policy question behind “AI inventors”: how much human contribution should be required? ◼️ Why global AI “normative work” is still far away - and why guidance/benchmarks matter now ◼️ SEPs explained in plain language: standards, “essential” patents, and why FRAND disputes happen ◼️ What WIPO's mediation pledge means for SMEs in the IoT space 00:00 Intro 01:08 What WIPO does - the four pillars 03:36 WIPO as a "coach": advising member states without imposing solutions 07:32 When AI lands on the table: how WIPO navigates global tech disruption 09:19 Three angles of AI's impact on the patent system 13:05 How close is international AI legislation for IP? 15:27 AI and the developing world: widening or closing the gap? 17:57 Standard Essential Patents: why WIPO is now getting involved 20:00 What are SEPs? Standards, essentiality, and FRAND licensing explained 24:11 WIPO's SEP initiatives: transparency and the PatentScope database 26:30 The WIPO SEP mediation pledge for IoT SMEs 29:05 What a future with less SEP litigation looks like3 1:08 What makes András optimistic – and what quietly worries him 33:41 Rapid fire questions Follow András:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrasjokuti/ Join PatentRenewal.com’s circle on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/patentrenewalcom Follow David:https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-breitenbach/ GET IN TOUCH Our website: https://patentrenewal.com/ About us At PatentRenewal.com, we believe IP renewals should be simple, transparent, and stress-free. We care about innovation and about making IP easier to understand and easier to use.That’s why we created Talk IP to me, the podcast that brings fresh conversations to the world of intellectual property. In each episode, innovators, IP experts, founders, and legal minds share real stories, hard-won lessons, and practical insights you can actually apply in your work.Our goal is simple: make IP feel human, practical, and accessible.

How zero-equity IP grants work for startups (Adam Fox) | Talk IP to me Ep. 6

Adam Fox is a business leader and long-time IP industry operator. He is a Board Member at FundingIP, a UK nonprofit that helps innovators protect IP through zero-equity grants, funding support, and the CEO of Insperanto (global patent translation and foreign filing support). In this episode, Adam joins David Breitenbach (CCO, PatentRenewal.com) to break down how FundingIP works in practice, how startups can get matched with the right attorney, and how founders can think more strategically about IP funding, filing, and foreign expansion without getting stuck in slow, complex grant processes. In this episode, you’ll learn: ◼️ How FundingIP’s 90-minute IP strategy grant works ◼️ Why matching with the right attorney matters so much for startups ◼️ What happens after the first strategy session ◼️ What FundingIP’s filing grant covers (and what it does not cover) ◼️ How the innovation grant works and how the panel selects winners ◼️ How government IP grants typically compare in time, effort, and approval rates ◼️ Where founders most commonly overspend in IP 00:00 Intro 01:08 Adam’s path: from psychology to IP and startup funding 02:53 How FundingIP works: application, speed, approvals 04:00 Matching founders with the right attorney (tech niche + jurisdiction) 05:56 Who can apply? Geographic eligibility (global / “planet Earth”) 07:41 The 90-minute strategy session 09:50 Reimbursement: do you get it back even if you don’t continue with the attorney? 10:36 What comes after the strategy session: drafting, filing, foreign jurisdictions 12:07 Role of service providers in foreign filing & translation 13:05 The filing grant: what it covers (and what it doesn’t) 14:37 Innovation grants: what they are and how they can scale 17:49 The innovation grant panel: how winners are selected 19:55 Why some applicants get rejected (the ~20%) 21:48 Attorney matching and psychological fit 22:52 Insperanto’s network that supports attorney matching 24:56 Government grants for official filing fees: what’s available 26:00 Government grants vs FundingIP: timelines, effort, approval rates 28:40 Which grant should time-pressed founders prioritize? 30:42 Rapid fire “IP confessions” Follow Adam https://www.linkedin.com/in/insperanto/ FundingIP https://fundingip.com/ Insperanto https://insperanto.com/ Join PatentRenewal.com’s circle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/patentrenewalcom Follow David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-breitenbach/ GET IN TOUCH Our website: https://patentrenewal.com/ About us At PatentRenewal.com, we believe IP renewals should be simple, transparent, and stress-free. We care about innovation and about making IP easier to understand and easier to use. That’s why we created Talk IP to me, the podcast that brings fresh conversations to the world of intellectual property.In each episode, innovators, IP experts, founders, and legal minds share real stories, hard-won lessons, and practical insights you can actually apply in your work. Our goal is simple: make IP feel human, practical, and accessible.

The startup rule for patents: file fast, learn faster (Jonas Hagman) | Talk IP to me Ep.5

Jonas Hagman is a European Patent Attorney, IP strategist, and the founder of IPsteading, where he helps SMEs and startup founders turn intellectual property into real leverage for funding, growth, and exits. In this episode, Jonas joins David Breitenbach (CCO, PatentRenewal.com [http://patentrenewal.com/]) to break down why IP so often becomes just a “checkbox” for startups, and how founders can build an IP approach that actually matches their business, product roadmap, and investor reality. IPcoach by IPsteading: https://www.ipsteading.com/ipcoach In this episode, you’ll learn: ◼️ Why startups don’t need “a patent”. They need an IP strategy that asks the right business questions ◼️ Jonas’ “travel agency vs car rental” analogy for what good IP guidance looks like ◼️ How to identify your real IP (and why founders often miss 80% of it) ◼️ The “fast to file, fast to withdraw” approach for moving markets and uncertain roadmaps ◼️ How IP can strengthen investor confidence (and the follow-up questions investors should ask) ◼️ How to use patents as tools: blocking, licensing (paid or free), and building standards ◼️ Red flags that signal a startup is treating IP as a checkbox.. or filing too late 00:00 Intro 01:35 Jonas’ path: why he left classic advisory 03:54 “Translator” between IP and business 05:07 What IPsteading actually does (and why the name) 06:59 First step for founders with no IP knowledge 08:55 The 90 days / 90 months challenge: what to do first 12:13 Building an IP learning culture (take action + protect ownership) 15:05 Finding the right attorney / partner 17:24 IP as tools: block, license, create advantage 18:43 Case story: Ather Energy and the “free license” move 23:05 Startup red flags: weak IP thinking 23:42 Red flag #1 - IP as a checkbox 24:18 Red flag #2 - Filing too late 26:35 How IP rights can help investor relationships 30:00 Why IP seems irrelevant early, but then becomes existential 31:18 How founders should learn IP (free resources + implementation) 32:59 Rapid fire questions 36:20 Outro Follow Jonas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-hagman/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-hagman/] Join the PatentRenewal.com [http://PatentRenewal.com]’s circle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/patentrenewalcom [https://www.linkedin.com/company/patentrenewalcom] Follow David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-breitenbach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-breitenbach/] GET IN TOUCH Our website: https://patentrenewal.com/ [https://patentrenewal.com/] About us At PatentRenewal.com [http://PatentRenewal.com], we believe IP renewals should be simple, transparent, and stress-free. We care about innovation and about making IP easier to understand and easier to use. That’s why we created Talk IP to me, the podcast that brings fresh conversations to the world of intellectual property. In each episode, innovators, IP experts, founders, and legal minds share real stories, hard-won lessons, and practical insights you can actually apply in your work. Our goal is simple: make IP feel human, practical, and accessible.

AI for IP: how to work faster, smarter, and safer (Sharon Shofner-Meyer) | Talk IP to me Ep. 4

Sharon Shofner-Meyer is a seasoned executive and strategist with deep expertise in legal tech, intellectual property and AI product management - also the author of IP work reinvented. In this episode she explains how AI can help patent practitioners scale the quality and volume of their output. We cover how mature today’s AI tools really are, and what IP leaders should do to govern, train, and measure for quality. We dig into the talent crunch, prompt engineering as “the new legal writing”, measurable quality gains in patent drafting (around 40% fewer errors), and why transparency and rational governance matter. In this episode, you’ll learn: ◼️ Why the billable hour for law firms is under pressure and how AI fits into existing workflows ◼️ The capacity/capability crunch in IP talent and where skills are missing ◼️ A practical patent drafting flow: human draft → AI checks → iterate ◼️ Where AI isn’t ready alone and why human strategy is still important to steer AI to the right direction ◼️ How to teach prompt engineering to future lawyers, build AI-literate teams, and avoid shadow AI ◼️ A look ahead at firm-trained “virtual AI teammates” that will preserve institutional knowledge and help new colleagues get up to speed 00:00 Into 01:00 Sharon’s path from science to patents and AI 02:38 AI’s long arc, recent acceleration 05:37 Where skills are missing across the IP industry 07:19 How AI helps - better patent drafting workflow 10:02 AI’s maturity - how people + AI wins 13:07 Prompt engineering is the new legal writing 16:08 An upgrading curriculum and practice reps 21:00 Rational governance - stopping AI with sanctioned tools 22:33 What an AI-literate IP leader looks like; change management 26:59 Small budgets, big wins - start with PTO comms automation 29:29 Five-year outlook: AI voice agents, and institutional knowledge 31:04 Advice to new attorneys: mentors, networks, process-AI courses 33:04 Rapid fire questions Follow Sharon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonshofner/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonshofner/] Join the PatentRenewal.com [http://PatentRenewal.com]’s circle on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/patentrenewalcom [https://bit.ly/patentrenewalcom] Follow David: https://bit.ly/david-breitenbach [https://bit.ly/david-breitenbach] Get in touch Our website: https://patentrenewal.com/ [https://patentrenewal.com/] About us At PatentRenewal.com [http://PatentRenewal.com], we believe IP renewals should be simple, transparent, and stress-free. We care about innovation and about making IP easier to understand and easier to use. That’s why we created Talk IP to me, the podcast that brings fresh conversations to the world of intellectual property. In each episode, innovators, IP experts, founders, and legal minds share real stories, hard-won lessons, and practical insights you can actually apply in your work. Our goal is simple: make IP feel human, practical, and accessible.