Gerard has over 11 years experience in the field of software patenting and trade marks. He has worked as an External IP Counsel for Hewlett-Packard in the area of IP capture and patent drafting. During his career, he has prepared patent applications for over a hundred entities, including: Nokia Corporation, Cambridge Silicon Radio, Unisys, Nokia Siemens Networks and University College London.
Gerard has particular experience in developing and implementing global intellectual property strategies for tech start-ups.
Some of his notable activities include advising a high-profile computer games developer in designing around a US patent, assisting NZ's largest computer games developer in selecting and protecting a trade mark for a PSP game worldwide, and preparing, filing and obtaining a US patent for CGI technology used in the Lord of the Rings film.
Gerard also mentors at Seedhack, the Lean Startup Machine and Student Upstarts, works with Gateway 2 Investment, runs regular IP Clinics at Dreamstake and Techhub, speaks at General Assembly, and provides patent services to members of the Innovation Warehouse.
He has prepared patent applications in the following areas:
cloud computing operating systems, file systems, distributed data architectures, anti-spam, cryptography, image analysis, Internet protocols, mobile code optimisation software, mobile apps, business intelligence systems, advertising systems, human resources systems, software testing platforms, educational software, speech analysis, bluetooth, mobile phone power systems, data replication systems, operating system journaling, user interfaces, data integrity systems, licensing models, compliance systems, securities transactions system, an AI engine for autonomous entities, CGI, image registration, 3D display software, mechanical, video conferencing, database access control, emergency services, healthcare, data migration, consumer behaviour tracking software, massively multiplayer computer games, network management protocols, server load testing platform, a cloud-based data manipulation platform, and audio-based data transmission.
Gerard is acknowledged as a leader in his field in the upcoming 2013 Chambers UK Guide.