Packaging is probably not something you spend too much time thinking about. We pick up a product from the shelf at the supermarket and toss it into the trolley without considering the journey this item went on before it reached you. Innovations in food manufacturing processes affect us all. Take the humble tin of beans…
Each day the news reports of yet another invention powered by AI. We are living in a smart world. To be “connected” we own smart phones so we can text, call, read the news, listen to music, catch up on the latest entertainment and even pay for our shopping. The functions of our smart phones…
With rising energy costs throughout the world, soaring food prices, global warming and the continuing conflict in Ukraine, the impact on agriculture and food production is profound. As food production is so fundamentally important, mankind has for centuries sought to improve farming methods and increase yields. For example, the invention of the hydroponic system (a…
Since the Industrial Revolution we have burned increasing amounts of fossil fuels for energy. Coal, oil and gas have been the earth’s natural resources that the global population now relies upon to fuel industry and to power our homes, but times are changing. Global climate change, the increasing rise in oil and gas prices worldwide,…
In a case of particular to trademark attorneys and brand owners, the Court of Appeal recently issued judgement in the latest instalment of Sky Ltd v Skykick. In 2020 the High Court ruled, in line with CJEU guidance, that the registration was in part invalid as the term “computer software” was overly broad, as the…
With the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Scotland in just a few months’ time it seemed an appropriate time to have a look at the quiet revolution that has been steadily making an impact on our city streets and gradually changing the face of transport around the world. Electric cars may seem…
A recent study carried out by the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) looks at trends in patent applications made to their offices in the last 20 years (2000 – 2020) and these findings were analysed and compared to patent activity at the European Patent Office (EPO). Overall patent applications to the UKIPO have dropped during…
For some Brexit might seem like a distant memory. It was something that featured in our vocabulary on a daily basis from the referendum in June 2016 right up until the UK left the European Union on 31 December 2020 but then COVID came along. Brexit, for many, took a back seat. But the effects…
It’s that time of the year again when thoughts turn to all things Christmas. And boy do we all need some festive cheer to brighten up our moods as we approach the end of 2020. Although we are not aware of it, we are surrounded by all forms of intellectual property when we go…
As scientists across the globe are frantically trying to devise a vaccine to protect us against COVID-19, we thought we would take a brief look back at the development of vaccines over history. As far back as 1796 the first Smallpox vaccine was developed by physician Edward Jenner. He discovered that by applying a small…
