PTO 'whistleblower' Julie Burke and patent prosecution guru Clint Mehall join Eli on the season finale of Clause 8 to break down what’s happening at the USPTO—and what’s still left to be done. On this episode, they discuss: *Insights from the Reddit r/patentexaminer thread *Previous and current plans to reduce the record patent application backlog *Should the USPTO withdraw patent eligibility example 47 for AI ? *Previous administration’s decision to end AFCP program and ideas for variation of A...
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr 5 min
What is the actual value of patents? Inventors and companies invest millions in obtaining patents, believing they are valuable assets. Yet, their true worth is rarely quantified. For this episode of Clause 8, Eli Mazour brings together three of the most insightful experts in the patent valuation space: Michal Malkovich, Vice President at Charles River Associates; Alejandra Loaiza Delgado, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Econ Edge; and Mike Pellegrino, President and Founder of Pellegrino & As...
Mar 25, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 79
Host Eli Mazour talks with Heath Hoglund, President of Via LA, to break down the role of patent pools in today’s innovation landscape. Tune in as they discuss: *The balance between licensors and licensees—and how Via LA acts as a bridge between them *Merger of Via Licensing and MPEG LA in 2003 to form Via LA *How Dolby’s strong brand helped it succeed with technology licensing *The challenges of starting a new patent pool program and what makes one successful *Future of patent pools *Heath’s sto...
Mar 11, 2025•46 min
Kathy Duda is the President of The Patent Office Professional Association (POPA) , which is the union representing USPTO patent examiners. On this episode, she discusses why she remains hopeful amidst current uncertainty around new return to office policies. In the episode, she also discusses: *Positive collaboration with Acting Director Coke Morgan Stewart Getting first involved with POPA after it helped her during her pregnancy Negotiating the first collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with t...
Feb 26, 2025•38 min
Join Eli Mazour as he explores the vital role of the U.S. patent system in fostering innovation. Entrepreneur Patrick Murray shares his journey from ideation to patent acquisition with Radium Payments, emphasizing the importance of intellectual property in business validation. Lisa Mueller, host of the AUTM on the Air podcast, delves into tech transfer, revealing how universities push innovations from labs to marketplaces. This episode underscores patents as essential drivers of American entrepr...
Feb 11, 2025•56 min
In this special episode of Clause 8, Eli shares why Coke Morgan Stewart is the perfect person to lead the USPTO. Eli discusses why her selection excites him and the broader implications for the intellectual property field. Reflecting on past directorships and the challenges faced by the USPTO, Eli explores issues such as patent backlogs, Section 101 rejections, and PTAB policies. Highlighting Stewart's experiences and skills, Eli shares his optimism for positive changes under her leadership. Thi...
Jan 28, 2025•28 min
What better way to wrap up 2024 than a conversation around the future of the USPTO with David Boundy. David is one of the sharpest minds at the intersection of administrative law and intellectual property. Plus, during his tenure at Cantor Fitzgerald, David worked closely with its visionary CEO, Howard Lutnick, who is leading Trump’s transition team and Trump’s pick for Commerce Secretary. This episode includes David’s thoughts on: * Why the next USPTO Director should prioritize examination qual...
Dec 31, 2024•48 min
Earlier this year, Eli had the opportunity to spend a day in Israel with Ariel Dubinsky, the founder and owner of Ariel Dubinsky Law Firm. While there, Eli learned that Ariel is at the heart of Israel’s dynamic intellectual property ecosystem. Ariel mainly focuses on trademarks and copyright, which is increasingly important for the so-called “Startup Nation” which saw a record breaking $10.5 billion in startup acquisitions just this year. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss th...
Dec 17, 2024•39 min
In this special episode of Clause 8, host Eli Mazour takes us behind the scenes of the Consero IP Forum, where he spoke with IP leaders about common pain points and solutions. Guests include: * Dimitri Kirimis , Lead Counsel at Cruise * Scott Miller , Chief IP Counsel at Zoetis * Joel Meyer , VP of IP and Innovation Strategy at Digimarc * Praveer Gupta , Director of Patents and Innovation Strategy at Uniphore This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or g...
Dec 03, 2024•29 min
This week’s Clause 8 episode features Bridget Smith, Assistant General Counsel and Director, Intellectual Property at Relativity Space—the first company to successfully create and launch a 3D-printed rocket. 🚀 Bridget, who previously made waves as a top PTAB practitioner, is now at the helm of IP strategy at Relativity Space, where she’s implementing an innovative approach to IP by using a trade secrets registry. In an industry that moves at light speed, Bridget’s focus on tracking and protecti...
Nov 19, 2024•1 hr
Jerry Ma, Director of Emerging Technologies and Chief AI Officer, and Charles Kim, Deputy Commissioner for the USPTO tell story of co-chairing USPTO's AI working group - sharing insights on USPTO's AI tools guidance, applying §101 for AI-related inventions, and leveraging AI for examination. Together, the two co-lead a group working on AI efforts and according to Jerry are focused on “a human first vision for AI at the agency.” In the episode, host Eli Mazour explores how Jerry and Charles led U...
Nov 05, 2024•39 min
In the ever-evolving world of retail, where technology and innovation are reshaping the industry, managing intellectual property has never been more important. Sri Atluri, Walmart’s Chief IP Counsel, knows this all too well. In this episode of Clause 8 with host Eli Mazour, Sri emphasizes the critical balance between protecting innovations and fostering strategic growth within Walmart’s technological initiatives. She argues for the necessity of continual IP enforcement, detailing how both protec...
Oct 22, 2024•44 min
In this special episode of Clause 8, host Eli Mazour speaks with Ann Cathcart Chaplin at the Qualcomm Museum, which is right at the heart of Qualcomm’s headquarters in San Diego. Ann shares her journey from being an IP litigator to in-house counsel and from GM to Qualcomm. As General Counsel of Qualcomm, Ann oversees all legal matters for the world’s leading innovator of connectivity solutions. Before Qualcomm, she served in a variety of deputy general counsel roles at General Motors (GM). Ann s...
Oct 08, 2024•58 min
Laurie Fitzgerald joins Eli to tell the story of how she led Avanci to an 8-year overnight success. Avanci’s pioneering efforts to provide an efficient, simpler option for the automotive industry to license cellular SEPs are now widely heralded as one of the greatest stories of successful innovation in the patent world. Laurie, who has been with Avanci since 2018, shares her journey and the strategic decisions behind the one-stop shop licensing platform that now boasts participation from 70 lice...
Sep 24, 2024•51 min
What is the value of protecting intellectual property (IP)? That’s the fundamental question that most Chief IP Counsel need time to answer to help their companies succeed. However, they’re often bogged down by the daily demands of leading teams that are doing what’s necessary to make sure that they’re obtaining the necessary IP protection. When they do have a chance to pose and answer that question to business executives, they quickly realize that those business executives are concerned with mor...
Sep 10, 2024•40 min
We’re looking forward to sharing new episodes from this season starting next Tuesday, including special video episodes on www.VoiceOfIP.com and a series of interviews with the most significant corporate IP leaders in America. In the meantime, we wanted to share episodes released this summer: Former USPTO Director Andrei Iancu and HTIA’s David Jones found a surprising amount of agreement regarding Section 101 on the first ever Clause 8 debate Iancu & Jones Debate Section 101 and Find Common Groun...
Sep 03, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Federal Circuit Judge Timothy Dyk discusses his memoir and provides priceless insights into how the Federal Circuit is operating today - 42 years after it was created in 1982 and 24 years after Dyk was confirmed to serve on it in 2000. This episode explores Dyk's perspectives on judges serving together at the Federal Circuit. His reflections and anecdotes offer a unique glimpse into the workings of the Federal Circuit, the decision-making process of a seasoned appellate judge, and various debate...
Aug 20, 2024•42 min
Clause 8 Podcast Show Notes Rob Rodrigues and Tatiana Alves - Brazil’s go-to attorneys for strong patent protection and effective enforcement - join Eli to talk about founding RNA Law and offer insider perspectives on successfully navigating the Brazilian patent system. Rob discusses how Brazil’s large market size and the predictability of obtaining injunctions is attracting foreign businesses looking for robust patent protection. He also talks about how Brazil is becoming an even more favorable...
Aug 06, 2024•47 min
Clause 8 favorites - former USPTO Director Andrei Iancu and HTIA’s David Jones - return for the first ever Clause 8 debate! They debate Section 101, find common ground, and discuss possible paths forward for improving the state of patent eligibility in America. Selected Topics * Impact of Federal Circuit’s State Street decision: "golden age of business method patents” * Supreme Court’s Section 101 decisions: Bilski, Mayo, Myriad , and Alice * Iancu’s role & thoughts about Ariosa v. Sequenom * Wh...
Jul 23, 2024•1 hr 6 min
His critics have called him “one of the most notorious patent trolls in America.” Many others have tried and failed to emulate his success. However, it’s hard to deny that Erich Spangenberg is in many ways a singular visionary in the world of patents. If there are celebrities in the patent world, it’s Erich Spangenberg. Thanks for reading Voice of IP! Subscribe for free to receive updates. As the founder of IPNav, he completed over 1000 licensing transactions - worth billions of dollars. To the ...
Jul 09, 2024•43 min
Why does an $850 billion pharma company obtain only 50 patents per year? Steve Caltrider, Chief IP Counsel at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, brings over 35 years of experience building valuable pharma patent portfolios and championing patent policies that promote innovation. Before Dana Farber, Steve rose to the role of General Patent Counsel at Eli Lilly. Steve has also served on the USPTO's Public Patent Advisory Committee and is currently the Chair of the ABA Section of IP Law. In this episode...
Jun 25, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Florian Mueller shares his remarkable journey from leading a major fight against pro-software patent legislation in Europe to becoming one of the most influential voices in the IP world. For over a decade, his FOSS Patents blog became the go-to destination for anyone who wanted to follow developments related to standard-essential patents (SEPs). After a brief hiatus, Florian recently reemerged as the publisher of ip fray , which is quickly starting to play the role for all of IP that FOSS previo...
Jun 11, 2024•1 hr 5 min
For almost 30 years - under the leadership of giants like Marshall Phelps, David Kappos, and Manny Schechter, IBM led in obtaining the most patents per year. However, in 2020, IBM made the decision to no longer pursue the goal of “numeric patent leadership.” It went from obtaining over 8500 patents in 2021 to, by some counts, less than 5000. Nonetheless, IBM remains one of the top American patentees. Mark Vallone joins Eli to discuss how he stepped into one of the most significant roles in the p...
Mar 28, 2024•55 min
J. John Lee is the Chief Counsel for IP in the US House of Representatives and helms the House Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, which is chaired by Congressman Darrell Issa. In that role, he is one of only four staffers in Congress who focus on IP issues and help set the agenda for what happens with America’s IP system. John joins Eli on this lively episode to discuss how he ended up in that role after serving as a Lead Judge on the PTAB, how he is currently worki...
Mar 14, 2024•1 hr 18 min
In this special two-part episode, we delve into the creation, implementation, and strategic importance of Europe's Unified Patent Court (UPC) with UPC Judge Michael Fleuchaus and Dr. Benjamin Grau. The first part of the show highlights Judge Fleuchaus' experience as a newly appointed technical qualified judge at the UPC. Judge Fleuchaus discusses the motivations behind the UPC's establishment and overarching goal to streamline patent litigation across the European Union. He also discusses his ro...
Feb 29, 2024•56 min
This year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce brought together a diverse group of stakeholders and thought leaders in support of a framework of IP Principles. These IP Principles are part of an initiative to help America overcome a sustained effort to demonize intellectual property rights over the last 15-20 years. Patrick Kilbride and Brad Watts, from the U.S. Chamber’s Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC), join Eli to talk about leading this initiative, the current narrative on IP rights and the f...
Dec 19, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Matteo Sabattini is well known in DC patent policy circles from his previous role as Director of IP Policy at Ericsson. He now joins Eli from Italy to discuss his new role as President and Chief Licensing Officer of Convida, what he learned from his time in DC, keys to building a successful licensing program, why recent attempts to regulate licensing of standard essential patents (SEPs) are misguided, and much more! Selected Timestamps | 0:11:03 | How shifting value from devices to services & pl...
Dec 12, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Ed Murgitroyd joins Eli Mazour to tell the stories of building Murgitroyd into one of Europe’s biggest IP law firms and his disruptive new venture Hexos IP. Murgitroyd was founded by Ed’s father Ian Murgitroyd in Scotland in 1975. Ed eventually joined his father and became the CEO of Murgitroyd before it was acquired by a private equity firm, Sovereign, in 2019. On this episode, Ed talks about: Story of his father, Ian Murgitroyd, starting Murgitroyd in Glasgow in 1975 thanks to a loan from a my...
Dec 05, 2023•1 hr 23 min
Ofinno’s founder Esmael Dinan and CEO Kavon Nasabzadeh join the Clause 8 podcast to tell Ofinno’s unique story of succeeding in the patent monetization space and talk about its plans for the future. After spending years as an inventor at a large operating company, Esmael came to the conclusion that most such companies aren’t good at obtaining valuable standard essential patents (SEPs) on their own. This spurred him to found Ofinno in 2011, an R&D lab that would obtain such patents. He almost qui...
Nov 28, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Amit Soussana is an IP attorney at one of Israel’s leading IP firms, Luzzato and Luzzatto. She is also one of more than 240 people – including babies, children, women, the elderly, and the disabled - who were brutally taken hostage by terrorists from Gaza on October 7 th . More than 40 days later, almost all of them are still being held hostage. Kfir Luzzatto, the senior partner of Amit’s law firm, joins Clause 8 to talk about the story of that horrific day, Amit, the ongoing horror that the hos...
Nov 19, 2023•23 min
