From Idea to Intellectual Property

Ideas Saving the Planet: Supercharging Next-Gen Lithium-Ion Batteries

How will the next generation of lithium-ion batteries reshape the future of sustainable energy?
Lithium-ion batteries are the powerhouse behind electric vehicles (EVs), and as EVs become more popular, so does the need for better, longer-lasting batteries. After all, no one wants their road trip cut short because they ran out of charge halfway to their destination! These batteries are the key to making EVs go the distance, and the race is on to make them even more efficient and eco-friendly. 
In this episode of From Idea to Intellectual Property, we take a look at the latest breakthroughs in next-gen battery technology and their potential to drive sustainability and combat climate change.
Join host Lisa Leong and Sicona Battery Technologies CEO, Christiaan Jordaan as they discuss the science behind these innovations and the pivotal role intellectual property plays in turning them into market-ready solutions.

Faking it: Navigating intellectual property in a deep fake world

How are you feeling about your reliance on technology, with all the news about AI, cyber-breaches and online scams?  
It’s hard not to feel slightly stressed or anxious. In this episode of the From Idea to Intellectual Property, we plunge into the depths of deep fake technology. We’ll get the official definition, find out just how deep fakes can be used for nefarious means, and what you can do about it. Spoiler alert: it’s tough!  
Join host Lisa Leong and Tara D’Aigle-Curley, Senior Associate at ROBIC as they unpack the technological advancements, legal ramifications, and ethical concerns surrounding this transformative, yet controversial technology.  
Tara is a Privacy and Data Protection Officer at ROBIC, a member of the IPH network. She specialises in privacy and information technology issues. 

"If I told you, I would be giving you the keys to the enterprise": Unpacking Trade Secrets

“If I told you, I would be giving you the keys to the enterprise.” 
When we think about intellectual property assets, trade secrets don’t typically make their way into the conversation, with more attention given to well-recognised assets like patents and trade marks. However, multi-million-dollar and billion-dollar enterprises tell us a different story. In 2018, a survey conducted by the USA’s National Science Foundation revealed that trade secrets ranked number one as the most valued of the IP suite.  
Trade secrets can cover the operations and details outside the realm of patents and trade marks, and can be crucial to a business's competitive advantage. In an increasingly leaky world, with cyber incidents near constantly in the headlines, protecting trade secrets is more important than ever, and it’s no wonder these assets are shrouded in conspiracy theories. 
In this episode of From Idea to Intellectual Property, IPH Strategic Advisor and former Director-General of WIPO, Dr Francis Gurry, unpacks the ins and outs of trade secrets and their extensive history in influencing global markets.

Why breaking into the Chinese market is big business

When developing an IP strategy, considering which regions to acquire IP protection is a vital step in ensuring a product or invention is secure. China boasts a prominent and innovative IP market, and homes one of IPH’s largest offices. 
Dr Siqi Wang is a Principal at Spruson & Ferguson, and Head of Patent in the firm’s Chinese practice. Here she shares her expertise on China’s IP system with host Lisa Leong, and shares the value of considering the Chinese market when building an IP strategy.  

Is customer centred AI the way of the future?

In recent times, AI has become a burning hot topic. The popularity of generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT have raised big questions in the world of work. But businesses have been using AI in their processes for longer than you think to create streamlined and efficient processes, for the benefit of both the business and its customer base. Some businesses, such as Qantas, are looking to leverage AI in all parts of their business, from AI run helplines to speed up response times, to biometric systems that reduce documentation at the airport.  
AI systems continue to build momentum, and IP professionals have much to consider in the way that data is used in these systems, who can use it and who owns its outputs. Spruson & Ferguson Lawyers Principal Mark Vincent discusses the rapidly developing world of AI in business and its benefits for customers, and the complex considerations for IP professionals in ensuring that data in these systems has the right protections, and that legislation keeps up with this growth.  

A Quantum computer in your pocket?

Quantum computing has quickly entered the mainstream, becoming a ubiquitous term used by technologists and non-technologists alike. But is it just a fad or a technological revolution that could alter aspects of all our lives?
In this episode of From Idea to Intellectual Property, Lisa Leong is joined by patent attorney Dr Simone Shu-Yen Lee who breaks down the complexities of quantum computing at both a conceptual and technical level, and provides three examples of where the technology could be applied. Simone also breaks down patent filing trends in this space and explains how Australia is capitalising on this ground-breaking industry.
With a PhD in Optical Physics from the University of Adelaide, Simone draws on her vast knowledge and experience to simplify this complex topic. 

A woollen kayak? Crazy ideas saving the planet

Shear Edge Managing Director Logan Williams recognised an issue in the oversaturation of waste in the wool and plastic industries. His work resulted in the world’s first woollen kayak, made of fully recycled materials, alongside a number of sustainably produced inventions.
Logan is a keen inventor always on the lookout for a problem worth solving. In this episode of From Idea to Intellectual Property, he shares the complexities of the inventor process with host Lisa Leong. AJ Park Principal Dr. Hannah French provides insight on the role of patents in the inventorship process, and how intellectual property protection helps bring these big sustainability ideas to life.

That will never catch on! Famous last words about the inventions that changed the world

“The internet? Nah, that will never catch on!” It’s been said before and will be said again, of the ideas that will change the world.
What makes one idea fly and another flop and how does the patent system and IP process help and challenge inventors?
In this episode ABC broadcaster Lisa Leong is in conversation with Dr Francis Gurry, IPH Strategic Adviser, unpacking the mysteries of the patent process and reflects on the big ideas that, at first glance, appeared unlikely to succeed but went on to change society and culture forever.
From the origins of sound recording that led to the creation of a global music industry to new innovations with unknown impacts on society, the patent system provides a window into our past and our future.

”My therapist is a robot” and other Emotion AI realities

Do you ever feel like your phone knows what you’re thinking? What if your computer could tell how you’re feeling? Or could a robot be your therapist?
Emotion AI is an evolving technology, using algorithms to analyse how people feel through words, audio and video. From healthcare to chatbots to transportation, this episode unpacks the many diverse benefits Emotion AI might have on people and society.
In this episode ABC broadcaster Lisa Leong is in conversation with Alice Tseng, a Principal at Smart & Biggar. They unpack how AI can analyse human emotion, and how it might respond to the needs of people, such as 24/7 therapy, detecting false insurance claims or even determining if someone is safe to drive.

Plant variety rights: how IP is giving Mother Nature a helping hand

Plant breeding is often a time and resource heavy activity, so it is important that breeders can achieve a return on their efforts.  Plant variety rights (PVRs) or plant breeders rights (PBR) are a form of intellectual property (IP) that protects the work a breeder puts into developing a new plant variety.
As climate change accelerates, plant breeding programs are being used by agricultural businesses to develop plants that are able to cope, and thrive in, the changing environment. By engaging with the IP system, breeders can generate a financial return on the investment they have put into those crops, incentivising the creation of plants which are suitable for a changing environment.
As Dr. Nikki Templeton, Patent Executive at AJ Park explains to host Lisa Leong, a PVR or a PBR is one tool in the kit you can use to protect your variety. Alongside a PVR you also want to be thinking about licensing and commercialisation strategies.  This may require both domestic and international IP strategies, so it’s important to consider this before taking the variety to market.  
It’s a niche IP system requiring in depth knowledge of the intricacies of working with living materials and nature. Gain a better understanding of the ways to obtain IP protection for new plant varieties in the final episode of From Idea to Intellectual Property podcast series.