“Intellectual property has the shelf-life of a banana.” The often-used Bill Gates quote makes it sound like he wasn’t convinced about the value of IP. In fact, Bill was no stranger to filing patents. Microsoft has shown us all how to reap the rewards of innovation through the effective protection and commercialisation of IP.

From global tech through to media & entertainment, the value in IP is nothing new. This year has seen Walt Disney’s copyright in some early Mickey Mouse works expiring, but the cheery rodent earned his creators a fair bit whilst sitting on his particular shelf. But if it’s known that brands must protect what are arguably their most valuable assets, why are many organisations still falling short in maximising the returns of their creations?

This year’s theme of our annual IP & Tech Conference is “Building Value from Innovation & Creativity” and will explore how businesses can grow and retain value through properly protecting their IP and Tech assets.

We have a stellar line-up of speakers sharing their thoughts. We’ll hear from:

• Anas Sarwar – MSP and Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
• Anoop Joshi – Chief Trust Officer of Trustpilot
• Elaine Van Der Berg – CEO of Pufferfish
• Gareth Edwards – Chief Client Officer of GoCodeGreen

There will be an in-conversation panel session discussing the importance of protecting brands, with panellists:

• Graeme Di Rollo – Marketing & IP Counsel of William Grant & Sons
• Gemma Henry – Brand Protection Paralegal of Killstar
• Ian Stirling – Co-founder of Muckle Brig
• John Rowley – Consultant

And we’ll enjoy a fireside chat with Marie Owen, CEO & Founder of LS Productions, who will share her own experiences of growing her global media production business.