Russell IP Rockception 2026: Music, Innovation & IP

By Iain Russell, Patent Attorney & Director at Russell IP (BSc, CPA, EPA, FRSA – 20 years’ experience in computer-implemented inventions and music technology). Published: 14 May 2026 Last updated: 14 May 2026 On 5 May 2026, we hosted Rockception 2026 at The World’s End in Camden – an informal evening that brought together clients, colleagues and contacts from across the IP and music technology worlds. The brief was simple: skip the corporate formality, lean into the music, and create space for genuine conversations between people who don’t usually share a room. This post is a short recap of the […]

April 30, 2026April 30, 2026Events

Petent Pending: Pet Display Clothing

Petent Pending™: Pet Display Clothing Welcome to Petent PendingTM, Russell IP’s series of pet-related patent posts! 🐾 Each post will feature a patent application or granted patent relating to technology for or involving pets 🐕🐈. From time to time, we’ll also try to coax a furry Russell IP representative into making an appearance and offering their take on the featured pet tech! Pet-Related Patent Snapshot Patent: US5901666 Inventor: Brice Belisle Title: Pet Display Clothing Granted: 11 May 1999 Jurisdiction: US A Vest-ed Interest in Pet Fashion Lots of pet owners enjoy taking their pets out and about and showing them off to […]

April 14, 2026April 7, 2026Events

Iain Russell Writes For Music Technology UK (MTUK)

It was a pleasure to write recently for Music Technology UK (MTUK) on patented inventions that have changed how we make and hear music. As MTUK’s Patents Expert, Russell IP Founder and Director Iain Russell is proud to support MTUK’s work driving recognition of the UK as a global leader in music tech innovation. You can read the full article on the MTUK website here. Iain has previously collaborated with MTUK on hosting a Patents Rock workshop for music-tech innovators. If you are developing a music tech product and would like advice on protecting it, please get in touch with […]

April 1, 2026April 30, 2026Events

How Many Claims Should You Include In A UK Patent Application?

Claims are, arguably, the most important part of a patent specification because they define the scope of protection under the patent application and, ultimately, under the patent itself if granted. Many insights on patent claims focus on patent drafting – mainly how to identify an invention and how to define it using patent terminology. In this article, we focus on the number of claims: specifically, strategies around the number of claims to include in an initial patent application. We will initially focus on UK patent applications, but will also cover the European Patent Office (EPO) and the United States Patent […]

March 25, 2026April 1, 2026Events

Sarah Connolly, Consultant PA at Russell IP

Sarah Connolly, Consultant PA at Russell IP We are delighted to share more details of Sarah Connolly’s work in the Russell IP team as a Consultant Personal Assistant (PA). Sarah has been supporting Russell IP for many years and brings a wealth of experience from previous roles as a senior PA at two of the world’s top luxury hotels. Highly organised and proactive, Sarah supports a wide range of tasks, projects and activities across the firm. For more information, please see Sarah’s profile on the Russell IP website. We’re excited to work with Sarah on more projects in the future.

March 10, 2026February 24, 2026Events

AI in IP: Potential Risks and Rewards

AI in IP: Potential Risks and Rewards of Using AI in Patent Work Explore potential risks and rewards relating to the use of AI in IP, with insights from Russell IP Founder and Director Iain Russell. Context Welcome to AI in IP, a series of blog posts sharing Iain Russell’s insights into the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) in intellectual property (IP). As Chair of the AI Committee of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA), Iain is a leading voice on how AI can be used in IP. The aim of this series is to highlight how AI can be used […]

March 3, 2026February 24, 2026Events

EPO Fee Assistant

Reducing European Patent Costs: Using The EPO Fee Assistant To Explore Fee Reductions Introduction: What Are Patent Official Fees? Applying for a patent is a significant financial investment. Official fees (the fees paid to patent offices) make up part of the total cost. Some patent offices offer official fee reductions to certain applicants. For example, the European Patent Office (EPO) offers several fee reductions in different circumstances. To help users of the European patent system explore some of the available fee reductions and support, the EPO provides an EPO Fee Assistant tool. This article explains how the EPO Fee Assistant […]

February 24, 2026February 24, 2026Events

What Is A Provisional Patent Application? A UK Inventor’s Guide

What Is A Provisional Patent Application? (And What It Means in the UK) If you’re an inventor, founder or early-stage startup, you may have heard the phrase “provisional patent application”. We’re often asked: “Can you file a provisional patent application for us?”. “Can we file something quickly and then ‘finish it off’ later?”. This is understandable, but the terminology can be unhelpful, especially in the UK. In this post, we’ll explain: What “provisional patent application” formally means in the US. Why the UK patent system doesn’t use the term in the same way. How priority dates work and why your […]

February 21, 2026March 10, 2026Events

AI in IP: How Clients View AI in Patent Work

AI in IP: How Clients View AI in Patent Work – Attitudes, Expectations, and Insights from Russell IP Explore how clients view AI in patent work, with insights from Russell IP Founder and Director Iain Russell. Context Welcome to AI in IP, a series of blog posts sharing Iain Russell’s insights into the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) in intellectual property (IP). As Chair of the AI Committee of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA), Iain is a leading voice on how AI can be used in IP. The aim of this series is to highlight how AI can be used […]

January 28, 2026January 30, 2026Events

Russell IP eBook on UK IPO Excluded Matter Decisions 2025

Russell IP eBook on UK IPO Excluded Matter Decisions 2025 eBook Now Available for Download! We are pleased to announce the release of Russell IP’s eBook compilation of all the UK Intellectual Property Office’s Decisions on Excluded Matter from 2025. The eBook accompanies the table of Excluded Matter Decisions Russell IP maintains at www.softwarepatents.co.uk and is available for download using the form below. Enter your name, company and email address to receive the eBook and sign up for the Russell IP Newsletter. Background to the UK IPO Excluded Matter eBook The eBook is an unofficial, free-to-download compilation by Russell IP […]