Bristows' Podcast

In this episode, Stephanie Taylor and Saaira Gill consider where we are now following Brexit, taking a look at how the UK and EUIPO approached the position of UK and EU based rights in relation to opposition and cancellation proceedings. In particular, looking at EU case law including Basmati ( EUIPO v Indo European Foods Case C-801/21 P), Shopify ( Shopify Inc v EUIPO Case C-751/22 P) and Nowhere...

Is a designer still a “designer” if they are just picking buckles and laces from a catalogue? In this episode, Simon Clark  and Kyrana Hulstein dive into the CJEU’s recent ruling in Deity Shoes SL v. Mundorama Confort SL and Stay Design SL , a case that explores the messy reality of fashion manufacturing and EU design rights. We break down the Court’s approach to novelty, confirming that designers...

In this episode, Ellie Handy is joined by Dr Chen Mao Davies, Founder and CEO of Anya , to explore what it really takes to bring a digital women’s health product to market. Chen shares the story behind Anya’s creation, the gaps she identified in maternal healthcare, and how AI-powered support can deliver accessible, 24/7 care for women and new parents. The conversation dives into the practical rea...

IP & AI litigation: Getty Images v Stability AI explained Stop and get into the ever-evolving brandscape of intellectual property and advertising. In each Bristows – Cease and Discuss episode, our Brands, Designs and Copyright team will sit down and discuss an aspect of IP law and advertising, with some practical takeaways and catch ups on developments and changes. In this first episode, Jerem...

In this episode of our Spotlight on Women's Health and Innovation podcast, Maria Ryan and Melissa Dix explore how patenting trends offer a window into research activities in the women’s health space. They discuss the rise in patenting of female-specific inventions, and consider female representation in patent inventorship. You can read our full article on the same topic here . 

In today's podcast, Richard Pinckney and Naoise Gaffney disseminate the key takeaways from the Supreme Court's decision in Emotional Perception AI v Comptroller General, which has brought about a seismic shift in the way that patentability of Computer Implemented Inventions is to be assessed in the UK.  This is a follow-up to Naoise's stop press article last week on the same topic....

Those working in the Femtech space have a difficult regulatory framework to navigate in the EU. For products that qualify as a medical device, the EU Medical Device Regulation imposes onerous obligations. In addition, the AI Act, as it stands, add additional regulatory requirements for devices including AI.  In this podcast Xisca Borrás and Ellie Handy discuss when software will qualify as a medic...

The FemTech sector, which focuses on technology for women’s health and wellness, is experiencing rapid growth in the UK. Out of the 540 active FemTech start-ups in Europe in 2023, 31.8% were based in the UK, and the UK is ranked second globally (behind the US) in terms of investment in the FemTech sector. In this podcast, Sophie Rees , Anna Honey and Gabriela Necula outline the main early-stage fu...

Finding reasons to be cheerful…hear our tax team’s key takeaways from the Budget 2025 which was announced on Wednesday, 26 November 2025. After much speculation and the odd leak, we unpick the negative predictions that did not come to pass and share our top three tax ‘good news’ stories. All information was correct at the time of recording.

In this episode of our Spotlight on Women's Health and Innovation podcast, Laura Harwood and Melissa Dix explore how university spin-outs can offer an effective mechanism for commercialising research, particularly in the women’s health space. They discuss the way in which university spin-outs are bringing research-driven solutions to market, and examine the key contractual considerations rega...

In the very first episode of our Spotlight on Women's Health and Innovation podcast, data protection associates Kiran Sidhu and Subha Kumar discuss how to navigate key GDPR challenges in the women’s health space. They offer practical advice when launching a new product or service in this sector and give top-tips on how to stay compliant and avoid regulatory traps. 

In the third and final episode of our series exploring Corporate Law and AI, our experts, Partner Nick Cross and Associate Oliver Alsop , delve into a crucial piece of legislation for anyone considering investing in UK companies in the AI sector: the National Security Investment Act 2021 (NSIA).

In this final episode of our three-part mini series on the EU AI Act and its implications for manufacturers of medical devices, Marc Dautlich and Alex Denoon look in detail at Annex V of the Act.  Annex V of the EU AI Act requires, amongst other things, that a manufacturer provide the Notified Body making a conformity assessment with a statement that the high risk AI system that is being assessed...

As rumours swirl of a delay to the date of application of the AI Act, here is part 2 of specialists Marc Dautlich and Alex Denoon's podcast. In this episode, they delve further into Marc’s territory – the principles based GDPR - and note an uncomfortable practical constraint hidden away in Annex V of the EU AI Act. This issue wasn’t addressed in Team-NB’s Position Paper, but is likely to be a...

Team-NB, representing the majority of Notified Bodies for EU MDR and IVDR medical devices, has issued a stark warning: the implementation of the EU AI Act carries a significant risk of major disruption to the medical device software sector. Their recently published Position Paper doesn't hold back, highlighting critical shortcomings in the implementation framework and emphasising the dwindlin...

In the second episode of our series exploring Corporate Law and AI, our experts, Partner Iain Redford (Corporate & Tax) and Partner Vik Khurana (Commercial Technology), highlight some of the key risks which are likely to arise in doing deals with the next generation of AI companies with suggestions about ways to mitigate those risks. Find all the episodes as we release them here , and don’t fo...

In the first episode of our series exploring Corporate Law and AI, our experts, Partner Vik Khurana (Commercial Technology) and Of Counsel Richard Swaine (Corporate & Tax), focused on the current state of AI transactional work and recognising and protecting value. Find all the episodes as we release them here , and don’t forget to subscribe! Note: All information was correct at the time of rec...

Following the CJEU’s landmark decision in the BSH v Electrolux case (C-339/22), patent litigators Andrew Bowler and Gregory Bacon discuss the three questions referred by the Swedish Court of Appeal to the European court. Explore our more detailed analysis here Note : All information was correct at the time of recording.

It's hard to believe that six months have passed since we released the 11th edition of our Biotech Review of the Year publication. Our editors, Greg Bacon , Xisca Borrás , and Will Hewitt , thought now would be a great time to catch up and discuss any developments since the launch. You can also find written updates on the following articles here : Integrating generative AI into the life scien...

In this episode our experts Iain Redford (corporate), Miranda Cass (tax) and Gareth Wadley (employment and global mobility) set out the key considerations and potential pitfalls involved in Acquihire deals - an increasing trend we see from across the Atlantic as strategic buyers and institutions look to acquire the best talent and technology to drive innovation. Find all the episodes as we release...

In this episode of Tech M&A, our experts, Jamie Drucker and Richard Swaine look at the regulatory challenges facing Adtech companies and consider how commercial and legal diligence - and approach to transaction risk - in Adtech M&A may have to refocus in the light of those challenges.  Find all the episodes as we release them here , and don’t forget to subscribe! Note: All information was...

In this episode of Tech M&A, our experts, Sophie Rees and Jamie Hatzel discuss some of the recent trends affecting medtech M&A, in particular recent regulatory changes which are affecting the evolution of the sector. They also discuss some of the M&A pitfalls which have arisen out of those trends – and how focussed due diligence can help investors avoid them. Find all the episodes as w...

Chris Bates and Vivien Zhu introduce the UK government’s consultation on a statutory regime for disclosure of transfers of value to the healthcare sector by the life sciences industry. Chris talks about the historical context of voluntary schemes for disclosures of transfers of value, while Vivien introduces the data protection implications of such disclosures. The Statutory Disclosure Regime cons...

Jamie Hatzel and Vivien Zhu delve into some of the finer details of the Statutory Disclosure Regime proposals, including the scope of the proposed regime and the role that voluntary disclosure schemes could continue to play once the regime comes into force. Vivien also talks through how the Statutory Disclosure Regime should prompt some companies to consider whether their data protection arrangeme...

Chris Bates and Jamie Hatzel round out this three-part series with a discussion of the likely impact of the Statutory Disclosure Regime proposals on the medtech sector, and how medtech will have to play catch-up to remain compliant once the Statutory Disclosure Regime comes into force.  The Statutory Disclosure Regime consultation closes on 16 October 2023. To learn more and submit a response, see...