Understanding IP Matters

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Character licensing is a $370 billion global industry — and most people have never heard of it. Bruce Berman sits down with David Born, CEO of Born Licensing and one of the world's leading experts in character and IP licensing for advertising. From placing Buddy the Elf in a UK supermarket ad to helping Geico license Angry Birds, David breaks down how brands use intellectual property to create instant emotional recognition in marketing campaigns. He explains how licensing deals are structured and valued, how licensors protect their brands from overexposure, and why smaller or emerging characters can actually offer better ROI than the hottest properties. David also shares how he built Born Licensing into one of the fastest-growing companies in Europe without any formal legal training — and why he thinks licensing is the most underrated business skill in the world.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Character licensing is a $370 billion global industry that most consumers interact with daily without realizing it.
Brands license IP in advertising through multiple methods — placing characters in ads, using existing footage, recreating iconic scenes, or rotoscoping characters from original films.
Licensing fees are determined by scope: territory, term, media channels, and usage type all factor into the final value of a deal.
Top-tier licensors like Disney and Marvel are extremely selective about who they work with — protecting brand equity is a higher priority than volume of deals.
Lesser-known or dormant characters can offer better commercial terms and faster approval processes, making them attractive for companies new to licensing.
David Born built Born Licensing into an FT 1000 fastest-growing European company by filling a gap no one else was serving: helping ad agencies navigate IP licensing.
Consumers will pay more for licensed products — the brand association adds perceived premium value that can offset royalty costs.
AI presents both opportunities and challenges for the licensing world, with major licensors still uncertain about how to embrace it without compromising IP protection.
Without formal legal training, David relies on deep industry experience, strong licensor relationships, and his lawyer sister for more complex legal questions.
The best measure of a successful licensing campaign is authentic fan response — when fans love seeing their character used well, it's a win for everyone.
Learn more about CIPU: understandingip.org 
Born Licensing: bornlicensing.com 
Born to License Podcast: Search "Born to License" on your podcast app
Understanding IP Matters is produced by the Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU). Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.

00:00 - Introduction & guest welcome 
02:13 - How character licensing entered David's life 
04:33 - Who listens to Understanding IP Matters 
05:15 - Types of IP licensing in advertising 
07:05 - How licensing deals are valued 
08:35 - Geico x Angry Birds case study 
09:08 - Measuring campaign success 
11:07 - Born Licensing's two business divisions 
12:39 - Major vs. lesser-known characters 
15:22 - Brand equity and saying no to deals 
17:29 - Operating without a legal background 
19:15 - Compensation and equity structures 
20:11 - FT 1000 fastest-growing company recognition 
21:39 - Filtering opportunities for licensors 
22:59 - Born to License podcast 
24:44 - Lessons for tech and content licensing 
25:29 - The cost and value of licensing 
27:40 - AI and the future of character licensing 
31:31 - Content authenticity and IP tracking 
32:32 - David's first awareness of IP
33:50 - Final thoughts for listeners
Support the show
Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org

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Protecting intellectual property at a university should come before sharing it
Ian McClure, Vice President of Research and Innovation at the University of Kentucky, makes the case that intellectual property isn't a barrier to innovation — it's the scaffolding that makes innovation possible. In a wide-ranging conversation with host Bruce Berman, Ian discusses how UK is leading a $200 million AI transformation strategy, why spinning out startups generates 50% more local economic impact than publishing alone, and how universities must evolve their promotion and tenure systems to truly reward innovation.
Drawing on his background in M&A law, IP transactions, and his tenure as president of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), Ian brings a rare combination of legal, commercial, and academic expertise to every topic — from the ethics of AI adoption to the practical challenge of getting researchers to file a provisional patent before they publish.
Key Takeaways
Spinning out a startup from university research generates 50% more local economic impact than publishing alone without IP protection.
The value of intellectual property exists if — and only to the extent — it is enforceable. Willingness to enforce matters as much as the scope of the patent.
Universities are uniquely positioned to study AI adoption because they host every level of sophistication, from first-generation students to decades-experienced AI researchers.
UK's Commonwealth AI Transdisciplinary Strategy (CATS AI) is a $200 million, three-to-five-year holistic framework for preparing an entire institution for the AI era.
Startup IP strategy is central to tech transfer: IP protection attracts outside capital, creates jobs, and keeps economic benefits local.
The promotion and tenure system at most universities still biases researchers toward publication over patenting — and changing those incentives is a major needle-mover.
AI is accelerating the pace of drug discovery and research, compressing timelines that once took years into months.
IP is the necessary governance layer that enables responsible AI innovation without stifling it the way premature over-regulation might.
Universities must balance curiosity-driven basic research with use-inspired research that responds to state and industry needs.
Fear of AI is valid and must be acknowledged — but institutions need structured, flexible frameworks to help every stakeholder move forward.
00:00  Introduction & opening quote
02:06  Ian's role at University of Kentucky
02:34  Challenges of AI adoption at a research university
05:30  The CATS AI strategy: origins and scope
08:00  How UK measures success across the institution
11:54  Addressing fear and resistance around AI
13:44  IP challenges at the intersection of AI and research
17:43  Licensing AI tools and IP as innovation scaffolding
21:42  UK's Microsoft Copilot partnership explained
22:09  Choosing an enterprise AI partner
25:38  Key concerns for tech transfer executives today
28:27  The case for university spin-outs
31:15  Why researchers resist filing patents before publishing
32:26  Reforming promotion and tenure to reward innovation
35:47  Enforceability: the mantra Ian teaches in law school
38:16  Balancing basic research with industry-responsive research
41:25  Ian's first encounter with IP: a merger that fell apart
43:31  Final thoughts: IP, AI, and embracing the transformation era

Support the show
Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org

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Danny Marti has navigated IP from the Obama White House to the boardrooms of some of the world's most powerful companies. As President Obama's intellectual property enforcement coordinator — the so-called "IP czar" — Danny helped shape a whole-of-government approach to IP strategy. Today, as Head of Public Affairs and Global Policy at Tencent, he oversees IP protection for the world's largest trademark filer and one of the top holders of AI patents globally.
This conversation covers Tencent's remarkable transformation of music piracy in China, how the company built Weixin's crowdsourced IP enforcement platform, and why understanding the problem before reaching for a solution is the most underrated skill in IP — or any other field.
Key Takeaways:
Tencent is the world's largest trademark filer, operating a truly global portfolio across dozens of countries and product categories.
China's music piracy rate dropped from roughly 97% to 2-3% in under a decade, driven largely by Tencent's investment in licensed streaming and aggressive enforcement.
The Weixin Brand Protection Platform (Weishen) allows any user — not just rights holders — to report IP infringement, crowdsourcing enforcement at scale.
Danny's time as IP czar centered on a whole-of-government IP strategy, coordinating more than a dozen departments, offices, and agencies.
Tencent holds among the largest portfolios of AI patents of any company globally and is shifting focus toward agentic AI beyond generative models.
Global video game development requires deep localization — culture, color, humor, and gameplay mechanics all vary significantly by region.
IP laws have historically proven resilient in adapting to new technologies, but the speed and scale of AI may test that resilience in new ways.
Existing copyright and trademark frameworks still apply meaningfully in the AI era; new regulation may be needed but isn't inevitable.
Danny's IP origin story began as a poetry fellow and intern at the USPTO — a reminder that IP touches creative fields from the start.
The core lesson Danny carries from the Situation Room: spend time understanding the full scope of a problem before proposing solutions.
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Content provided is for informational purposes only and does not represent the views of CIPU or its affiliates.

00:00 - Cold open: The Situation Room and IP
01:32 - Why Tencent isn't a US household name
05:35 - Danny's role and Tencent's IP portfolio
07:00 - Largest trademark filer in the world
08:30 - Tencent's AI patent strategy
10:55 - Copyright evolution in China
12:00 - Music piracy transformation
14:10 - Life as the Obama White House IP czar
17:59 - Whole-of-government IP strategy
21:01 - Government to global industry
22:35 - IP challenges at RELX and LexisNexis
27:21 - Protecting value-added content
28:33 - Global gaming and localization
32:33 - The Weixin Brand Protection Platform
35:07 - Why users self-report IP violations
37:51 - Agentic AI and the future of IP law
39:16 - Will AI require new regulation?
41:53 - Danny's IP origin story
44:13 - Understand the problem first
Support the show
Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org

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Laura Peters provides rare perspective to intellectual property awareness, having served as Deputy Director at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office under Andre Iancu before becoming Executive Director of Research at UNC Charlotte. She tackles persistent misconceptions about patents in university settings, where publication incentives often overshadow commercialization opportunities. 
Peters explains how patents function as temporary greenhouses for innovators—protecting ideas for 20 years before releasing them to public knowledge. Her work focuses on helping researchers understand that intellectual property extends far beyond patents and that securing rights doesn't conflict with open knowledge principles.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Universities reward publications over patents, creating commercialization barriers
Researchers often conflate all IP rights with patents, missing broader protections 
Open knowledge advocates can still benefit from patent rights and public dedication
Patents publish after 18 months, contributing to collective innovation knowledge
Trade secrets are rising as patent uncertainty increases in AI and other sectors
Subject matter eligibility reforms could strengthen innovation protection
University culture change requires extensive education and community building
Patents preserve innovator legacy across global innovation records

Support the show
Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org

Send us Fan Mail
Wayne Stacy brings a unique perspective from his role as executive director of Berkeley Center for Law and Technology. From his early days as a patent litigator to directing the Silicon Valley USPTO office and earning a Fulbright to work in Nepal, Wayne has witnessed dramatic changes in how technology affects legal practice. This conversation explores how AI is transforming legal education, the evolution of patent litigation costs, and why future lawyers need different skills than previous generations.
Key Takeaways:
AI enables lawyers to focus on higher-value work by automating routine tasks
Legal education must teach AI integration rather than AI avoidance
Cross-disciplinary collaboration between law and engineering drives innovation policy
Future lawyers need policy development skills alongside traditional legal training
Berkeley's position in Silicon Valley creates unique opportunities for public discussions
Entry-level lawyers must scale up capabilities to remain relevant in AI era
Support the show
Understanding IP Matters is brought to you by the nonprofit Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) with generous support from its partners and sponsors. The podcast provides leading innovators and experts the space to share their IP stories.

Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org.
To reach us: explore@understandingip.org