Aryan Anchan

It is strange to think that I’m already done with the weeklong internship at Mewburn. I’ll be completely honest, before this internship I knew very little about IP and patents. I just assumed it was something which was automatically secured, or people are too nice to not steal from one another. But boy was I wrong. These five days at Mewburn Ellis completely transformed my understanding of IP, and honestly, it might have changed my career trajectory entirely.

Walking in Blind: My IP Starting Point

I was frantically researching IP basics right up until the first day. But that eventful morning at Mewburn Ellis turned out to be the perfect introduction, finally understanding what the firm was all about, what IP actually means, and what patents really protect. While everyone around me casually threw around terms like "prosecution," "prior art," and "novelty," I was trying to understand what language they were even speaking. But here's what made Mewburn Ellis incredible: nobody made me feel stupid for not knowing. Instead, they saw it as an opportunity to teach someone from scratch, taking time to explain each unfamiliar term until the IP jargon started making sense.

Then as the day moved forward, we were taught how to draft a claim, Initially, I thought claims were just descriptions of what an invention does. But sitting with one of the senior associates, I realised claims are actually legal boundaries. They're like drawing a fence around your intellectual property, except the fence is made of very precise words instead of wood.

The process reminded me so much of writing an algorithm, as you need logical structure, precise definitions, and careful consideration of edge cases. Having an AI background suddenly felt like a superpower here. In the case study which was given to us, I could understand the technical details of machine learning inventions, ask the right questions to the inventors about neural network architectures, and grasp how removing certain components might affect functionality.

What fascinated me most was how patent attorneys become quasi-inventors themselves. I watched them work with AI researchers, constantly asking probing questions like "What makes this neural network architecture unique?", "What happens if we remove this layer?", and "Could this work with different activation functions?". They weren't just documenting inventions, it felt like they were helping inventors think through variations and improvements.

Going through the complete lifecycle with our machine learning case study was incredibly enlightening. After drafting the initial claims, we worked on amendments when the patent office raised objections, carefully refining the language to address their concerns while maintaining broad protection. Then came response letters - formal arguments explaining why our AI invention was novel and non-obvious, citing technical papers and comparing our approach to existing machine learning methods.

The opportunity to work on actual AI patents, understanding how to protect neural network innovations and machine learning algorithms, showed me how this field perfectly combines technical expertise with strategic legal thinking.

Plot Twist: Learning to Destroy What You Create

Just when I thought I understood the game, they taught me the flip side which was how to oppose patents and draft amendments. This was mind-blowing.

The opposition side was equally fascinating. Looking at competitors' patents, I learned to spot weaknesses. The strategic thinking required was incredible, you're not just arguing about one patent, but more documents related to prior art. Every decision in prosecution or opposition could impact future inventions in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.

The People Who Made It Click

What really made this experience special wasn't just learning the technical stuff, it was the people. I got to pick the brains of some seriously impressive patent attorneys who took the time to explain not just the "what" but the "why" behind IP strategy.

These weren't just smart lawyers, they were people who genuinely loved the intellectual puzzle of patent law. Their enthusiasm was infectious.

In The End

This internship didn't just teach me about IP law, it showed me how my AI background could open doors in patent law that I'd never considered. Being able to understand new machine learning research, engage meaningfully with AI inventors, and help protect the next generation of artificial intelligence innovations felt incredibly rewarding.

Working on real AI patent cases, from initial drafting through amendments, response letters, and potential opposition strategies, gave me a complete picture of how intellectual property protection works in the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence. The combination of technical depth, strategic thinking, and direct involvement in protecting genuine innovations made every day engaging.