Designs in Motion: The UK IPO’s Latest Guidance
The UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) has issued new guidance on protecting digital designs - our experts break down everything you need to know about it.
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AI in Flight: Patent insights into AI‑driven green aviation
In this episode of the Greenshoots Podcast, Partner Adam Tindall and Associate Ali Dumigan explore how artificial intelligence is transforming aerospace innovation,
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Appleyard Lees acts for successful defendants, Asda and IPL, in first claim for infringement of plant breeders’ rights brought to trial in the UK
"This is an important decision on many levels. In finding against NCP, the court has given clear, seminal guidance on the correct interpretation of essentially derived varieties under UK legislation."
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Software and AI Patentability: A Global Overview
This article provides an overview of how AI and software can be patented in key jurisdictions and commercial markets. This will help you and your trusted patent attorney to develop an optimal patent filing strategy for your AI innovations.
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Has the USPTO found a solution to the patent eligibility problem for AI inventions?
The arrival of the new US Patent and Trademark office (USPTO) Director, John A. Squires towards the end of 2025 has led to a flurry of activity from the USPTO in relation to patent eligibility.
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Patent Prosecution Highway – speeding towards patent grant
The road to getting a patent can be quite long and winding. This can be advantageous for some patent applicants, particularly start-ups and spin-outs, because it spreads out the costs for patent prosecution over a number of years. However, there are times when it may be desirable to speed-up the patent prosecution process. In this article, we explain a popular way to speed-up the process to getting a patent: the aptly named Patent Prosecution Highway.
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Increases in APHA fees for plant breeders’ rights
The APHA has announced increases for a number of fees relating to the filing of applications for plant breeders’ rights and Great Britain and Northern Ireland variety listings, which will take effect from 1 February 2026. Our experts break down the fee changes.
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Inside Plant-Based Meat Patents: What the latest data tells us about sector innovation
In this episode of the Green Shoots Podcast, Appleyard Lees patent attorneys James Myatt and Jack Braithwaite explore the plant-based meat industry through the lens of patent data.
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The Greenshoots Podcast – Inside the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst with Prof. Aline Miller
In this episode of the Greenshoots Podcast, Appleyard Lees attorneys Kate Hickinson and Richard Maclennan sit down with Prof Aline Miller, Director of the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst (IBIC) - a £5 million EPSRC initiative to accelerate knowledge exchange, skills development, and innovation in the industrial biotechnology community.
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Artificial intelligence & green innovation
AI is fast becoming both a climate tool and a climate challenge. Through the lens of patent data, our experts track the technologies emerging to curb the energy demands of AI data centres and aviation.
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Patenting user-centric inventions in the UK is technically possible
In this article, we look at a recent UK case that illustrates how a user-centric invention that utilises hardware components, such as sensors and displays, can still fail to have an effect on a technical process. We also discuss how we can help you to determine whether a user-centric invention is likely to be patentable or not patentable in the UK.
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