Definition IP News – March 2025

Name: Claire Rutherford

Job Title: Director, Patent Attorney.

How did you get into the profession?

When I was younger I had no idea that the profession even existed. I first heard of the role when I was at university, when a patent attorney came in and spoke to undergraduate students.  At that point I was still convinced that I was going to be a research scientist, but I had clearly filed the talk away in the back of my head as being interesting. I then studied and worked in labs for a while and worked out that research work wasn’t a good fit for me, as whilst I loved learning about the science I was less keen on the benchwork! I recalled the talk from a patent attorney and at that point I decided to look at intellectual property as a career. I was very fortunate to be taken on as a trainee for a firm in Glasgow and 25 years later here I am!

What inspired you to start your own business?

I have worked with a range of different innovative businesses as my career has progressed and I find it particularly interesting to see how ideas move from the initial concept and R&D stages, through the high growth stage of research and development and onwards.  I think it was the working with innovators and watching their journeys that inspired me to set out on my own. Looking back I always felt there was a real opportunity to work with businesses going through periods of growth and change, and that many of the ways or working were set up either for the very small inventors or for large corporates who had IP teams in-house. Definition IP was established to support growing innovative companies in a manner that allowed them to build strong relationships with their patent attorney and to ensure intellectual property was being understood and leveraged through the growth phases of a business as well as it would be in a large business with an in-house IP team.

What is an invention you couldn’t live without?:

I’m not sure that I could survive a full week at work without the coffee machine. It’s particularly interesting to see that the first drip coffee maker was invented in 1908 by a female inventor Melitta Bentz!

What is your dream holiday?

I love a ski holiday. It’s the perfect combination of working hard, learning something new and being in truly beautiful surroundings.  It always feels like I’ve earned my glass of wine at the end of the day.

What have you read, watched, or listened to recently that you enjoyed? I read everything I can get my hands on, from business books to low-brow novels.   The Ottolenghi cookbooks are a constant favourite in our house, and it’s not a recent read but I always recommend reading Bad Blood – the story of Theranos’ fall from grace.  I am also looking forward to reading Sara Davies’ new book the 6 Minute Entrepreneur.

What type of clients do you like working with?

I love working with driven clients who are working to make the world a better place. Most often, given my background, this is in life sciences field where I am very lucky to work with some amazing people and companies.

Alexander Simpson also attended an International Women’s Day event hosted by Nexus, which aimed to raise money for King’s Trust in order to change young people’s lives through education. The event was a great success, bringing together a passionate community to support the cause. It was a fantastic opportunity to raise funds for an important initiative while celebrating the achievements of women and advocating for positive change.

Take some time to review your registered IP rights and ensure they align with the products or services you’re currently commercializing. If not, it might be time to explore alternatives like licenses of right or selling them to create value and reduce unnecessary costs.