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 evening, a thank-you to the guest speakers and attendees who made it special, and – for those who couldn’t make it – the full set of music patent quiz questions we prepared for the night, with answers.
Key Takeaways
- Rockception 2026 was Russell IP’s first event of its kind – an informal, music-themed gathering for clients, speakers and contacts in the IP and music technology communities.
- It was held at The World’s End in Camden on 5 May 2026, scheduled during a major IP conference week in London.
- Six guest speakers covered topics spanning AI music generation, music production, vibe-coding, fashion tech IP, and music-taste analysis using AI.
- The evening was punctuated by a series of music patent quizzes, with winners receiving a copy of Patents Rock by Iain Russell. A full set of questions and answers is reproduced in this post.
- We’re already thinking about the next one.
A note on this post: This article is an event recap and includes some general information about music-related patents in the quiz section. It is not legal advice, and patent records change over time. The figures cited from public databases were accurate at the time of the event but may have moved on since. For advice on a specific invention or patent strategy, please contact Russell IP.
Contents
- Why we hosted Rockception 2026
- The venue: The World’s End, Camden
- Guest speakers and topics
- The music patent quiz: questions and answers
- Merch, atmosphere and the people who made it work
- What’s next
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why We Hosted Rockception 2026
We wanted to do something different. The week of a major IP conference in London is traditionally packed with formal client receptions, and we felt there was room for the opposite: a relaxed evening built around music, innovation and IP, where the goal was conversation rather than corporate hospitality.
Music technology is one of our core specialisms at Russell IP, alongside AI, machine learning, and computer-implemented inventions more generally. Combining those interests with an actual music venue felt like the right way to mark the week.
The aim was straightforward: bring together a mixed group of clients, colleagues and contacts; give them genuinely interesting talks; and trust the rest to take care of itself.
The Venue: The World’s End, Camden
The World’s End is an iconic music pub in the heart of Camden, sitting directly above The Underworld, another long-standing London music venue. The combination of location, history and atmosphere made it a natural fit for an event themed around music and innovation.
Camden has a particular pull for anyone interested in the intersection of creativity and commerce, and the venue gave the evening the feel of a small gig rather than a corporate function – which was exactly what we were after.
Guest Speakers and Topics
We were lucky to have six excellent speakers, drawn from our clients, colleagues and wider network. Each gave a short talk on a topic at the intersection of music, technology and IP. We’re hugely grateful to all of them for taking the time out of their schedules to join us and share what they’re working on.
| Speaker | Organisation | Talk topic |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Grayson | Music Foundry | Patent portfolios for AI music generation |
| Rob Toulson | RT60 Ltd | Music production: past, present and future |
| Justin Paterson | University of West London | Vibe-coding |
| Nick Kounoupias | Kounoupias IP | Stories from a career in the music industry |
| Benjamin Hoyle | Russell IP and Hoyle IP Services | Analysing music taste using AI and the Spotify API |
| Brynn O’Connell | Dauntless | The importance of IP in protecting fashion tech |
The range of topics was deliberate. Music technology touches everything from generative AI and audio engineering through to wearable tech and the long tail of music industry experience, and we wanted the evening to reflect that breadth.
The Music Patent Quiz: Questions and Answers
Throughout the evening, we ran a series of short quizzes on music-related patents. The winner of each round received a copy of Patents Rock, Iain Russell’s book on the intersection of music and patent law.
We weren’t able to ask all of the questions on the night, so we’ve included the full set here for completeness. A note before you read on: many of these answers are based on counts from public patent databases (such as Lens.org) at the time of the event. Patent databases are continuously updated, so the exact figures may differ by the time you read this. Treat the answers as a snapshot rather than a fixed truth.
Question 1: How Many Patent Records on Lens.org Have the Word “Guitar” in the Title?
10,283, according to Lens.org at the time of the event. The figure spans patents and published applications across many jurisdictions, and includes everything from pickup designs and tuning systems through to guitar-shaped accessories and packaging.
Question 2: How Many US Patents Name Leo Fender as an Inventor?
61. Leo Fender, founder of Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company and later Music Man and G&L Musical Instruments, was a prolific inventor. His patents cover guitar bodies, tremolo systems, pickup designs and amplifier circuits, among other things.
Question 3: In What Year Was the First US Patent for the Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo Granted?
1979. The Floyd Rose locking tremolo system became one of the most influential guitar hardware innovations of the late 20th century, particularly in rock and metal, where it allowed players to use heavy vibrato and dive-bombs without the guitar going out of tune.
Question 4: How Many US Patents List Robert Moog as a Named Inventor?
10. Robert Moog, the engineer behind the Moog synthesiser, has a comparatively modest patent count given his enormous influence on electronic music. It’s a useful reminder that patent count is not always a good proxy for impact: the right patent at the right time can matter far more than a large portfolio.
Question 5: How Many US Patent Records Does Lens.org List in the Name of Yamaha Corporation With ‘Piano’ in the Title?
Around 124 records (113 unique families) at the time of the event. Most of these are design patents covering the appearance of pianos rather than utility patents covering their function, which gives a glimpse of how an established music brand uses different types of IP protection.
Question 6: In What Year Was the First US Patent Granted With the Word ‘Synthesizer’ in the Title?
In the sense of a music synthesiser, probably 1953. It belongs to an RCA (Radio Corporation of America) family of applications with the English-language title “Music synthesizer” and a priority date in December 1951. Interestingly, the first member of the family to be published was the Belgian application, which is why early documents in the family are in French.
If you’d like to read more about how IP works in the music technology space, our wider work on computer-implemented inventions and AI is a good place to start.
Merch, Atmosphere and the People Who Made It Work
We wanted Rockception to feel more like a gig than a corporate event, so we did away with standard branded items in favour of merch you’d actually expect to find at a music venue: t-shirts, plectrums, stickers, tote bags, beer mats and wristbands. Seeing the Russell IP rock sign scattered around the venue was a quiet highlight; spotting a client wearing one of the t-shirts the next day was even better.
What stood out most was the conversation. Throughout the evening, people who had never met before ended up in long, animated discussions, and – unusually for an event of this kind – no one was left standing on their own. That, more than anything else, was the bit we’re proudest of.
Huge thanks to Ben Charig and Sarah Connolly, who organised and coordinated the event end-to-end. Ben was on the door all night, liaising with the venue, welcoming guests and speakers, and keeping everything running smoothly. Several attendees made a point of mentioning what a fantastic job he did. Thank you both. Rockception wouldn’t have happened without you.
What’s Next
We’ve already had several attendees tell us it was their favourite event of the week, and we’d like to keep building on that. Creating an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome, relaxed and valued was central to how Rockception worked, and we plan to carry that same approach into future events.
If you work at the intersection of music, technology and IP – or you’d just like to be on the list for next time – we’d love to hear from you.
Conclusion
Rockception 2026 was an experiment in doing networking differently: informal, music-led, and built around the people in the room rather than the firm hosting them. The combination of a great venue, generous speakers and a genuinely mixed crowd made for an evening that exceeded what we’d hoped for.
We’ll be doing it again. If you’d like to hear about the next one, or talk to us about music technology, AI or any other innovation you’re working on, please get in touch.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice. For tailored guidance, please contact Russell IP.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rockception 2026
What was Russell IP Rockception 2026?
Rockception 2026 was an informal evening event hosted by Russell IP at The World’s End pub in Camden on 5 May 2026. It brought together clients, colleagues and contacts from the IP and music technology communities for short talks, conversation and a music patent quiz. It was deliberately designed as the opposite of a formal corporate reception.
Why did Russell IP host a music-themed networking event?
Music technology is one of Russell IP’s core specialisms, alongside AI, machine learning and computer-implemented inventions more generally. Combining those interests with a Camden music venue gave the evening a natural identity and helped attract a mixed audience of inventors, engineers, attorneys and music industry professionals. Russell IP wanted to create a space that felt closer to a gig than a corporate function.
Who spoke at Rockception 2026?
Six guest speakers took part: Tom Grayson (Music Foundry) on AI music generation patent portfolios; Rob Toulson (RT60 Ltd) on music production past, present and future; Justin Paterson (University of West London) on vibe-coding; Nick Kounoupias (Kounoupias IP) on a career in the music industry; Benjamin Hoyle (Russell IP and Hoyle IP Services) on analysing music taste with AI and the Spotify API; and Brynn O’Connell (Dauntless) on IP in fashion tech.
Where can I find the music patent quiz questions and answers?
The full set of music patent quiz questions and answers from Rockception 2026 is reproduced in the quiz section above. They cover guitar patents, Leo Fender’s inventions, the Floyd Rose locking tremolo, Robert Moog’s patent record, Yamaha piano design patents, and the first US “music synthesizer” patent. Bear in mind that some answers reflect database counts at the time of the event and may have changed since.
Are the patent figures in the Rockception quiz still accurate?
The figures cited in the Rockception quiz were taken from public patent databases such as Lens.org at the time of the event and may no longer be current. Patent databases are continuously updated as new applications are filed, granted, withdrawn or reclassified. If you need a precise count for a specific purpose, we recommend running a fresh search or speaking to a patent attorney at Russell IP.
Will Russell IP host another Rockception event?
Russell IP is planning to host further events in the same spirit as Rockception 2026. We’ve had strong feedback from attendees and want to keep building on the informal, music-led format. If you’d like to hear about future events, get in touch with Russell IP and we’ll add you to the list.
Can Russell IP help with patents in music technology and AI?
Yes. Russell IP specialises in protecting innovations in AI, machine learning, computer-implemented inventions, telecommunications, and music technology. We work with founders, inventors and established companies on UK and European patent strategy, drafting and prosecution. If you have an invention in any of these areas, get in touch with Russell IP for a free, no-obligation discussion.
