Protecting AI technologies

Patents are the currency of innovation, and AI is no exception. We advise a large number of AI clients on the most effective, practical and commercial methods for protecting their technology.

From founders of start-ups to heads of innovation at multi-nationals, our specialist AI patent attorneys are there to support you. Whether you’re implementing AI in a new area or developing the AI algorithms, networks or the hardware to support them, the strength and depth of our AI team can provide you with a whole range of AI solutions.

Our expertise

Our cutting-edge understanding of the latest technology, and legal precedents and strategies sets us apart. We combine our specialist AI knowledge with relevant technical expertise for different industry sectors, which means our AI specialists often work with HLK colleagues from different technical disciplines. By doing this, we can supplement our expert knowledge of a technology field with specialised AI input to get the right level of protection for the use of AI in any particular field.

How we can help you

We support SMEs, universities, corporates and global companies striving for the best AI patent protection to suit their individual commercial strategy. Whether we’re advising you on a filing strategy, drafting a patent to protect your invention in the first place, or arguing on your behalf before the European Patent Office, the UK Intellectual Property Office or other offices, we do so with care and attention.

When you need help with oppositions or appeals, or the enforcement or defence of your rights before the courts, our team of opposition experts and litigators can handle this too.

Meet our experts

Gemma Robin

Lisa Williams

Caroline Day

Frances Wilding

Isobel Finnie

Joanne Addison

Greg Ward

Olivia Crawford

Latest updates from our team

Copyleft Licences and AI

18 January 2024

There has been a lot of talk, and a lot of litigation, about how copyright might affect AI and its users. The lawsuit filed against OpenAI by the Authors Guild and some big-name authors including George RR Martin, John Grisham, and Jodi Picoult, alleging that ChatGPT infringes the copyright in the authors’ works, is just one example. This is all fascinating, and has generated many column inches in the year since generative AI burst onto the scene, but what about copyleft?

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Updates on AI and patenting in the UK

20 December 2023

On 20 December 2023, the UK’s Supreme Court, which is the top court in the UK, ruled that an artificial intelligence cannot be the sole named inventor on a patent under the UK’s Patent legislation, in Thaler v Comptroller General. This judgement confirms that current British law, in particular the Patents Act 1977, requires a “natural person” rather than a machine to be behind an invention for a patent to be granted.

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AI Observer, Issue 6: A decision in the UK for Getty Images v Stability AI, and finally an agreement on the EU AI Act!

14 December 2023

In this issue, we take a look at a recent decision in the UK dealing with copyright issues in Stability AI’s Stable Diffusion and, as an early Christmas present, we report on the EU AI Act – yes, it has been agreed!!

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