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Some of the sharpest minds in the IP world

Dedicated AI specialists with detailed technical understanding

Artificial intelligence technologies are changing the future of many industries all over the world. It’s an area where the combination of IP expertise and real technological knowledge is hard to find. Marks & Clerk has proven expertise in AI.

We’re market leaders in IP in AI technologies. For example Marks & Clerk filed more AI applications in the 5 years between 2015 and 2020 than any other European patent attorney firm. Over that time period, we achieved a 70% success rate, 7% higher than the average firm.

Shaping the future of IP for AI

Marks & Clerk is a respected thought-leader in this area. We’ve been at the forefront in the EPO’s engagement with the patent profession as they try to bring some legal certainty and consistency to examining AI applications and developing clear guidelines. In addition, we’re working with patent offices around the world to develop their strategy in this fast-evolving area.

AI patents at the EPO

A long-term trend analysis

Read the report

Specialists

for the result you need

Mike Williams

Partner Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney
Mike is an expert in patent matters relating to digital technologies, and in particular artificial intelligence (AI).

David A Ruston

Partner Canadian Patent Agent
Dave specialises in the field of engineering advising clients on all aspects of IP, from protection through to enforcement and strategic management of third party IP risks.

David Robinson

Partner Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney
David is recognised as a leading practitioner for digital technologies and as an “outstanding specialist for machine learning patents”.

Zephyr Su

Partner Chinese and Chartered (UK) Patent Attorney
Zephyr is a qualified patent attorney before the PRC patent office and UK Intellectual Property Office.

Rhian Granleese

Partner Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney
Rhian qualified as a patent attorney last century and her practice has grown to encompass most topics that fall under the general headings of electronics and physics.

Tim Watkin

Partner Chartered (UK), European and Registered (SG) Patent Attorney
Tim handles patents and some registered designs, mainly for clients in the electronics, computing, bioinformatics and internet industries.

Jonas Lindsay

Partner Registered (SG), Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney
Jonas is a Singapore Registered Patent Attorney, Chartered (UK) and European Patent Attorney.

Jonathan Solomon

Associate Solicitor (UK)
Jonathan is an Associate and a patent litigator at Marks & Clark Law advising across both the life sciences and high-tech sectors. Alongside patent litigation, Jonathan also advises on trademarks, design rights, copyright matters and trade secrets, with experience of drafting and negotiating commercial contracts and advising on intellectual property protection strategies.

Working with us

Our clients include companies applying AI to their products and processes as well as those for whom AI is their core business. We represent some of the world’s most prestigious global software companies as well as those just starting out in their AI journeys. We work across the full range of IP services.

One example of our success is securing a pioneering patent in the field of AI, focused on neural networks and reinforcement learning. It’s one of the first patents to be granted under the EPO’s 2018 Guidelines for Examination, which sets out new rules that make it much harder to patent AI-based inventions.

Technical and legal expertise

We have a dedicated team of AI specialists, with detailed technical understanding of this technology. We have practitioners with relevant technical PhDs and many with internationally recognised qualifications in AI. They are also some of the sharpest minds in the IP world, recognised as leading practitioners in their field in International rankings.

This combination of technical and legal expertise enables us to guide you through the complexities of IP relating to the AI world and bring clarity to your decision-making.

Latest Insights

Insight
- 24 September 2021

Part 2: AIn’t An Inventor: UK Court of Appeal Refuses Thaler Appeal for DABUS Patent

An application to the Supreme Court is likely but whether such an application will be accepted may depend on the status of the currently ongoing legislative review concerning AI and the law.
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Insight
- 23 September 2021

Part 1: UK Court of Appeal rules that an AI cannot be the inventor on a patent application

The Court of Appeal has issued a decision in an appeal against the High Court’s decision to uphold the refusal of the Dabus patent application in the UK. Agreeing with the both the UK IPO and the High Court, the Court of Appeal has ruled that an AI cannot be the inventor for the purposes of a patent application.
Read more
Insight
- 30 August 2021

Inventorship and Artificial Intelligence

AI never ceases to challenge our certainties in the field of patent law, even if it means taking us out of the summer torpor.
Read more

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