Have you missed our webinar on AI in the intellectual property industry? Now you have the chance to watch it!

Christian Hafner, Product Manager of RightHub Al, shares real-world examples of Al's impact in the Patent Attorney space, and learn how you can leverage automation in your daily work: from an Al expert to patent professionals.

- See real examples of how AI can be used in intellectual property
- Learn how to leverage automation in your daily work
- Experience how AI can save time and money

Watch the webinar here by filling out the form below:

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Webinar: Evolve or Dissolve

In the fast-paced world of intellectual property (IP), effective portfolio management is crucial for law firms and corporate entities alike. However, the technology powering much of the IP industry today is outdated, rooted in systems developed during the 1990s and early 2000s. This reliance on legacy systems has led to a myriad of issues, including poor connectivity between vendors, customers, and their clients, as well as significant administrative burdens. In this evolving landscape, RightHub emerges as a revolutionary force, offering a state-of-the-art platform built from the ground up to address these challenges and propel the industry into the future.

# The Legacy System Conundrum

The IP industry’s reliance on antiquated software has resulted in a series of pain points for practitioners. Many of these legacy systems were designed in an era when the internet was still in its infancy, and the needs of IP professionals were vastly different from today. These systems often lack the flexibility and connectivity required for modern IP management, resulting in:

1. **Disjointed Communication**: Legacy systems often fail to provide seamless communication channels between stakeholders, leading to delays and miscommunications that can jeopardize crucial IP matters.

2. **Security Vulnerabilities**: The transfer of sensitive IP data through unsecured means is a common issue, posing significant risks to the confidentiality and integrity of information.

3. **Administrative Overload**: Manual processes and lack of automation in legacy systems result in a heavy administrative burden, diverting valuable time and resources away from strategic IP activities.

# Enter RightHub: A New Era of IP Management

Recognising the challenges within IP (outlined in our previous post), RightHub was founded in 2021 with a clear mission: to create a cutting-edge platform tailored to the comprehensive management of intellectual property. Whether dealing with patents, trademarks, or designs, RightHub’s innovative approach prioritises user access management, communication, and collaboration across the entire network in a smart and efficient manner.

# Key Features of RightHub

![Revolutionising IP Portfolio Management](https://storage.googleapis.com/righthub-cms-media-production/Image_2_711df71525/Image_2_711df71525.png)

RightHub stands out in the crowded IP management software market due to our powerful and forward-thinking features, designed to meet the dynamic needs of today’s IP professionals:

1. Automation and AI Integration: Simplify routine tasks, reduce manual workload and minimise the risk of human error. AI-driven insights provide valuable analytics, helping you make informed decisions swiftly.

2. Generative AI Capabilities: Generate draft documents, search for prior art, translate instantly and perform other critical IP tasks with enhanced efficiency and accuracy.

3. Instant Messaging and Real-Time Collaboration: Facilitate real-time communication among team members and stakeholders, ensuring everyone stays on the same page and can respond promptly.

4. Automated Tracking and Compliance: Track IP assets, deadlines, and renewals automatically. Ensure compliance with global IP laws and rules, get real-time updates on official fees and pricing from agents worldwide.

5. Global Agent Network Connectivity: Seamlessly coordinate and execute tasks across different jurisdictions with our robust network of globally connected agents.

6. Public Data Integration: Create cases instantly from public records with instant data verification and validation.

7. User and Customer Management: Set up new users, customers, agents, and colleagues with our intuitive interface and smart access management system, that allows for quick onboarding and efficient user management.

8. Product-Led Growth Focus: Inspired by the seamless experiences offered by many of the modern B to C platforms, we emphasise product-led growth. Connect, share information, and manage tasks with just a few clicks, all while maintaining complete oversight of your activities.

# A Commitment to Design and Experience

At RightHub, we believe in building beautiful software that is easy to use and enjoyable. In today's world, adding value to the IP cycle for lawyers, administrators, and key stakeholders within businesses is paramount. We strive to make their lives easier by removing administrative burdens and pain points, allowing them to focus on what truly matters. Our strong focus on design and user experience ensures that RightHub is not only a powerful tool but also a pleasure to use.

# The Future of IP Management

RightHub represents a monumental shift in the IP management landscape, offering a platform that not only addresses the shortcomings of legacy systems but also introduces innovative solutions that redefine industry standards. By prioritizing security, efficiency, and user-centric design, RightHub empowers law firms and IP owner to manage their IP portfolios with unprecedented ease and precision.

As the IP industry continues to evolve, embracing advanced technologies like those offered by RightHub will be essential for staying competitive. Our commitment to continuous improvement and innovation ensures that it will remain at the forefront of the industry, providing IP professionals with the tools they need to succeed in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

# About the Author

Jon-James Kirtland is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of RightHub, with a background in intellectual property (IP) and technology integration. His writings focus on the critical role of automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and application programming interfaces (APIs) in IP management.

At RightHub, Jon-James leads the development of a comprehensive platform designed to streamline IP management, offering secure storage, seamless collaboration, and robust enforcement mechanisms to protect innovations effectively.

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Revolutionising IP Portfolio Management

Revolutionising IP Portfolio Management with RightHub

In this interview, we sit down with Christian Hafner, Product Manager of RightHub AI. He explains how AI can assist with tasks like analysing novelty, summarising documents, finding better arguments, and overcoming writer's block.
We also discuss the advantages of using AI over traditional methods and the potential challenges in adopting these new technologies in the IP industry.
To learn more about how AI can transform your IP work, join us for an upcoming webinar here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b8246642-b13d-44af-ba8d-bc6583523a0b@2bba69b8-40fc-4b29-8d65-2a7eeb2652a2

**RH - In what ways can patent attorneys and IP professionals use AI tools and technologies? Or phrased in a different way - why should IP professionals use AI tools and technologies?**

CH - Basically to save time and therewith costs for their client or employer and to increase average output quality. The language output of a large language model/AI is very stable once it understands what it should do. In general, it's very good at analysing novelty. So, if you pick out a specific feature, you can ask the AI to check a document if the feature is present. You can also summarise the document, ask specific questions regarding an invention to a document. You can use it to summarise prior art, or to make definitions in a patent application. Finally, tools like perplexity.ai make learning about a new technology fun. 

**RH - On the other side, what advantages do IP professionals who use AI have over the ones who don't use it?** 

CH - Speed is one thing I would say. You're much quicker with AI, and you also can start easier if you experience a writer's block. It really helps you past that, as you can just ask the AI ‘Can you describe this or what would you do?’ and you get something to start with. Further, you can use AI to support reviewing a draft, finding better arguments against an Examiner observation and so on or simply to get a second opinion on something you wrote. In the end it is a pair of “computer” eyes that can review your work and therewith substantially increase quality if used correctly. 

**RH -  I think the writer's block is a really, really good one. I know that I'm using it for that, just to get started and get inspired. Can you elaborate a little bit more on specific tasks or aspects that RH's AI streamlines and how it does it?**

CH - I think one of the most versatile features we have is the AI analyst - basically talk to one or several documents with pre-prompted IP specific buttons available. Two features we have worked on are Review as mentioned previously and Claim charting; - both are done versus a document that you upload, in the first case a draft you received from a drafter (as an IP manager) and the second one versus a patent or a product specification or similar. 

Other features we are working on start with a novelty search based on a description or invention disclosure to then drafting parts of a patent specification, reporting a communication including cited prior art retrieval and translations all in one tool. We will include more features in the future and some of them are going to be very unique and groundbreaking. 

**RH - And can AI tell if, for example, a patent specification has shortcomings?**

CH – Yes definitely. It will give you a risk assessment and say, “this seems to be good” if everything is defined, or it can say “What about this term? Maybe you should define it a bit more clearly” or if you benchmark it towards the invention disclosure, it might say “you don't mention this feature at all in the in the draft, is that on purpose?”.  So, it acts more like an assistant giving the user a hint what to check in more detail, saving an IP manager quite some time.

**RH – What are you currently working on?** 

CH - Handling of Office Actions and working with figures. Then, if we go further down the road, you can upload licensing agreements or the like and benchmark such agreements versus products or methods on the market or benchmark such agreements or product specifications against patented claims in various jurisdictions. Soon AI agents will most likely also play a role. 

**RH - What do you consider to be the main challenges or obstacles to the widespread adoption of AI in the intellectual property industry?** 

CH – The first thing is probably the trust of the people in the industry. (Secret) patent application drafts are sent around not encrypted via email (a widely spread practice in the industry) but when it comes to AI or LLMs everybody is suddenly afraid to share secret data. Users often forget that you trust search providers with a general invention description that is entered into a search agent (not involving AI) without thinking twice or storing secret data on one of the big cloud storage providers. So, building trust is important. OpenAI for example, which LLMs we use for our product, makes a huge effort regarding non-training policies, data safety and privacy. 

And the other one – in the beginning AI will increase margins as it makes many processes faster and more efficient but soon prices will come down for industrial clients and inventors as patent attorneys will need to give some of their efficiency gains back to their clients. This is however also a good thing for patent attorneys as their time spent on strategic work and claim drafting can be increased.

Finally, I think a big part of helping clients to adopt is also education - showing how RightHub AI can be used and building an intuitive and smooth tool, which we are of course doing since day one ;-). 

**RH – Does an expert need to cross check LLM output relating to intellectual property?**  

CH – Absolutely, AI can never replace the expert/patent attorney. According to my opinion there will be a need for a human expert at least for the coming 10 – 20 years, the only question I have is how we train these new experts when the groundwork of reading hundreds of patents is done by LLMs but I guess the coming IP stars will figure it out.


Try RightHub AI for free for 14 days here: www.righthub.com/ai

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Harnessing Al in Intellectual Property - How Al is Shaping the Future for Patent Attorneys

### Discussion by Ralph Schroeder

As Presented May 9, 2024, to the IP Counsel Cafe Annual Meeting

![IPCC.png](https://storage.googleapis.com/righthub-cms-media-production/IPCC_f5c6af707c/IPCC_f5c6af707c.png)

# Introduction

In the rapidly evolving landscape of intellectual property management, patent departments face increasing demands for efficiency, integration, and operational innovation. As technology advances—driven most recently by AI—and global competition intensifies, the need for a transformative approach to patent operations becomes imperative. This discussion presents five important trends that are redefining patent department operations. These trends, fueled by technology innovations and new operating models, promise to streamline processes, enhance collaboration, and optimize the management of intellectual property. By building capabilities consistent with these trends, patent departments can achieve significant competitive advantages and operational excellence. 

# Trend #1: Integrated IP Lifecycle

Patent departments today face the challenge of managing a complex set of contributors involved in the IP lifecycle, including internal stakeholders, outside counsel, ex-U.S. associates, PTOs, and service providers. The lack of standardized data, disparate workflows, and high transaction costs are significant hurdles, as business processes often span multiple systems without integration. This fragmentation leads to inefficiencies, increased costs, and potential errors, making it difficult to maintain a smooth and cohesive operational flow.

The new integrated approach, such as RightHub’s platform, creates an environment where participants work in a common platform and with common data standards. By lowering transaction inefficiencies, processing times can be reduced by up to 30%, directly lowering operational costs and expediting patent issuance.  An integrated approach also enhances the overall agility and effectiveness of the IP management process, positioning organizations to better capitalize on their intellectual property assets.

# Trend #2:  'Appification' of the User Experience

The IP process involves inventors, business managers, attorneys, outside counsel, and agents, each contributing in related but different ways.  The information and functional needs for each of these contributors can differ significantly.  The challenge is that today’s general-purpose systems are not tailored to these specific needs, resulting in poor engagement.

The deployment of purpose-built ‘apps’ that provide each role the right information and tools significantly enhances user engagement and productivity.  Built on top of an integrated platform, RightHub provides apps that are designed for specific purposes helping to ensure that users can easily participate in the process.  Apps can reduce the user learning curve and streamline tasks tailored to individual roles. This approach leads to a measurable increase in productivity of 20-25%, alongside a reduction in training and onboarding time by up to 50%, enhancing user satisfaction and participation.

# Trends #3: Platform based IPMS

For most organizations, their IP management systems are SaaS-based product solutions: monolithic, all-inclusive, offering one-size-fits-all functionality.   While meeting general requirements, the need for business-aligned information and workflows are either impossible or extremely expensive.  Moreover, these systems can be challenged to work with other systems, leading to disconnected data and processes.  The result is an IPMS that is sufficient but not adequate to the needs of the organization.

The emerging trend are platform-based solutions built on top of enterprise architectures that provide the advantages of traditional IPMS products but with the flexibility to configure and integrate with other data and systems.  For example, the RightHub Enterprise solution is built on the Microsoft Power Platform, providing organizations a leading IPMS system plus native integration to Microsoft Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, Office, Power Bi, and other tools.  Users can work in and across their normal day-to-day tools, thereby improving the efficiency and quality of their work product.  This adaptability can drastically reduce IT overhead and enhance the ability to respond to changes, ensuring that the patent operations are always cutting-edge. The transition to PaaS reduces IT development and maintenance costs by up to 40% and improves system adaptability by 60%, lowering the total cost of ownership with cloud-based solutions.

# 4. AI for Operations

IP practitioners have long utilized technology for document management, workflow enhancements, and basic automation, as well as search and analytics as a core part of their practice.  As AI has rapidly entered the toolset, early applications of generative AI have focused on content-related tasks such as patent classification and drafting. These innovations have provided useful advancements, yet they have been somewhat isolated, focusing more on improving substantive attorney work rather than transforming overarching operational workflows. 

The emerging trend is the integration of automation-focused AI with content-centric generative AI to build new applications capable of managing complex workflows. This combination of process automation and substantive work product enables true end-to-end AI workflows. Such tools not only streamline operations but also maintain high accuracy and efficiency.  Implementing AI, such as RightHub's Copilot, automates routine tasks, reducing workload and minimizing human error in processes like docketing and client communications. This automation reduces operational costs by up to 30% while improving task accuracy and reducing human error by 50%. It also allows staff to focus on higher-value tasks, significantly increasing the overall value of the department.

# 5. Managed IP Operations

Today's patent departments are challenged to meet the needs of an increasingly complex work environment.  Growing work volumes, constrained budgets, and difficulties in recruiting qualified, experienced staff are common issues. These challenges are exacerbated by changing expectations regarding work environments and preferences for remote or flexible working arrangements. This evolving landscape necessitates a fundamental rethinking of how companies manage their IP operations to remain effective and competitive.

Managed IP operations present an alternative strategy that addresses these multifaceted challenges while optimizing internal team dynamics. This approach integrates both technological solutions and professional expertise within a service agreement framework, effectively extending the capabilities of internal teams without traditional outsourcing. Managed services are designed to act as a seamless extension of the company's existing IP department, providing specialized support that enhances efficiency and strategic focus, allowing internal teams to concentrate on high-value, strategic IP activities.  A managed services partnership reduces associated costs by up to 25%, increases focus on strategic activities by 40%, and enhances scalability and flexibility in resource allocation.

# Conclusion

Patent department operations are rapidly evolving, driven by critical challenges such as the increasing complexity of global portfolios, heightened workloads, and evolving workforce dynamics. Innovation in both technology and process improvement offers exciting opportunities to address these challenges.  The integration of advanced platforms, tailored applications, flexible service models, and AI-driven processes are new ways that patent departments can enhance their operational efficiency and improve the strategic management of IP. These innovative trends not only streamline patent operations but also empower departments to adapt to changing demands effectively.  RightHub is at the forefront of these trends by offering targeted solutions that optimize patent management practices, thereby ensuring that departments can leverage technology and expertise to stay competitive and resilient in the ever-changing IP arena.

## RightHub - One place for everything IP

RightHub is a collaborative and inclusive platform for managing and enforcing innovation and ideas. It's built by experienced people passionate about perfecting solutions that allow people to work smarter solving difficult problems in the IP space.
Our platform is connected, reliable, intuitive, profoundly efficient, automated and very powerful. It's (potentially) also the only one you'll ever need.
We named it RightHub to signify one hub for everything IP.

Please visit https://righthub.com for more information

## About the author

Ralph Schroeder leads RightHub’s North American business, working with both corporate IP departments and law firms to improve their IP operations.  Over the course of his 25 year career, Ralph has worked with many leading innovator, brand companies, and solution providers across the full spectrum of IP management activities.  Please contact Ralph at rschroeder@righthub.com 


Webinar: Evolve or Dissolve

Revolutionising IP Portfolio Management with RightHub

Harnessing Al in Intellectual Property

Five Trends That Are Shaping The Patent Department

Think better.

Think RightHub.