Monday 24th August 2020, 2:00pm (London UK – BST) 45mins

What will the talk cover?

The current pace and scale of health care innovation has led to the emergence of a broad range of new digital health technologies which apply new advances in computing technology to health care applications.  This talk, the second in a series of two talks on digital health, will focus on artificial intelligence, data ownership and how to obtain the correct contractual rights to operate a digital health business.

The rate of innovation in digital health is reflected in a large and increasing number of patent applications being filed in this field.  However, there are several other IP considerations which are particularly important for digital health companies aside from patent protection.  For example, for companies implementing machine learning for diagnosis, their most important asset may be access to patient data, allowing them to train their algorithms to obtain new advances in disease diagnosis.  For such companies it is essential they have the correct agreements in place to allow them to process the data – and to own the new IP in their software developed using the data.

In this second talk on Digital Health technology, we are joined by Ben Williams, solicitor at Withers Tech, who will provide some practical advice on ensuring you have the correct agreements and structures in place to avoid some of the most common mistakes.

Who will be speaking?

Jack Severs is a Chartered UK and European Patent Attorney who advises a wide range of clients, from large multinationals to SMEs and university spin-outs across the fields of health tech, electronics, engineering and computer-implemented inventions.

Jack leads GJE’s MedTech business development group and has particular expertise in advising early stage Health Tech companies on how best to protect their innovation.  He regularly drafts and prosecutes patent applications for Digital Health inventions which apply computer-implemented technology and software to medical and healthcare applications.

Jack is actively involved in the rapidly growing start-up ecosystem in London and provides IP support to a number of accelerator and incubator organisations, including advising companies on the Digital Health London Accelerator and acting as “IP Expert in Residence” for the Imperial College Enterprise Lab.  Jack has spoken at a number of events, including speaking on the importance of IP strategy at the GIANT Health Event and chairing the Beanstalks competition for Health Tech start-ups.

Ben Williams is a solicitor-advocate and senior associate in the Withers tech team in London.  Ben advises software and hardware providers (and all the hybrid companies in-between) on the protection, commercialisation and enforcement of new technologies.

Ben has particular experience in helping digital health companies to ‘scale-up’ by drafting and negotiating their technology-related contracts (everything from technology development, launch-to-market, and commercial partnerships).

Ben also has higher-rights of audience and is able to represent clients in the senior civil courts in England and Wales.