Access Innovators Network - Week of May 26, 2025 | Issue #9
As AI continues to influence how products, services, and ideas come to life, understanding how to protect innovation has become a critical part of responsible development. For founders, creators, and accessibility advocates, the path to building something impactful also includes knowing how to safeguard the intellectual property that supports it.
In this issue, we focus on what innovators need to know about IP rights in the context of AI. From copyright and patents to trade secrets and responsible licensing, we highlight key areas that are essential for building accessible, ethical, and sustainable solutions.
We also invite you to our upcoming live event with Brian Chau , where we will explore the fundamentals of protecting your work in AI. We will discuss what is changing, what to watch out for, and what steps you can take now.
Spotlight Story: Intellectual Property in the Age of AI
For innovators working with artificial intelligence, understanding intellectual property is more than a legal requirement. It is a strategic foundation for protecting creative work, maintaining competitive advantage, and building responsibly.
In both the United States and Canada, current IP laws are being tested by the rise of AI-generated content and machine-assisted innovation. Copyright protection, for example, still hinges on human authorship. If an AI generates a work without meaningful human involvement, that content is unlikely to be eligible for copyright protection. Similarly, patent systems in both countries require a human inventor. Courts have rejected the idea that an AI system can be listed as the inventor of a patent, even when it contributes significantly to the idea or design.
These limitations highlight a challenge for founders who rely on AI to create code, content, product features, or even business models. Without clear human authorship or inventorship, some of their most valuable work may fall outside traditional legal protection.
In these cases, trade secrets can play an important role. By securing internal processes, data pipelines, or training methods through confidentiality and security protocols, innovators can protect their AI-driven work even when formal registration is not possible.
Finally, both U.S. and Canadian authorities have emphasized that ethical considerations, such as bias and accessibility, are increasingly relevant to innovation strategy. As AI becomes a larger part of public and private services, responsible IP practices are not only about ownership but also about impact.
This shifting landscape makes it essential for entrepreneurs and builders to understand what IP protections apply, where the gaps are, and how to combine legal tools with ethical frameworks to protect both their ideas and their mission.
Featured Event: What Founders and Innovators Need to Know About Protecting Their Work
Join us for the second event in Season 2 of the Access Innovators Network, hosted in partnership with Microsoft Reactor .
Juan Olarte will speak with Brian Chau about an essential topic for anyone building something with AI: how to protect your work. Whether you are developing a product, launching a service, or exploring an idea that uses AI, understanding your rights and responsibilities is key to building sustainably and ethically.
This beginner-friendly session will explore:
What intellectual property means in the context of AI
Common risks innovators overlook and how to address them
How to protect both your technology and your mission
Where inclusion and accessibility fit into your innovation strategy
Event Details
Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Eastern Time
Location: Online (Microsoft Reactor) What Founders and Innovators Need to Know About Protecting Their Work | Microsoft Reactor
This session is ideal for entrepreneurs, founders, accessibility advocates, and anyone working on AI-driven projects who wants to build responsibly.
Special thanks to Microsoft Reactor and Alixia Blanc for their continued support.
Quick Tips & Tricks: IP Protection for AI-Driven Projects
Whether you're launching a new product or exploring a creative idea powered by AI, protecting your work requires more than just technical know-how. Here are a few key tips to help safeguard your innovation from the start:
Document human input: If you're using generative AI, keep a record of your creative contributions. Copyright protection requires human authorship, so be prepared to show how you shaped or directed the final output.
Combine legal tools strategically: Some innovations benefit from a mix of protections. You might patent a technical feature while keeping your training data or model tuning methods as trade secrets.
Be cautious with third-party tools: Inputs shared with AI platforms may be logged or reused. Avoid entering proprietary code, data, or confidential project details into public tools without understanding their terms of service.
Review licensing terms: Not all AI-generated outputs or models are free to use commercially. Always check whether a license applies, especially if you're using open-source models or public datasets.
Use agreements to clarify ownership: When collaborating with others, define in writing who owns what. This avoids disputes and ensures your team or organization holds the rights to any work that includes AI contributions.
Taking these steps early on can help prevent complications and provide a clear foundation for growth.
Resource Roundup: Learn, License, Protect
For founders and innovators working with AI, staying informed is essential. Below are a few recommended resources that offer practical guidance on protecting your work and navigating evolving intellectual property frameworks:
1. U.S. Copyright Office – Guidance on AI and Copyright
Covers human authorship requirements and how to register works that include AI-generated content.
2. Canadian Intellectual Property Office – AI and IP Consultation Summary
Provides insights into Canada’s evolving stance on copyright and AI.
https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-internetopic.nsf/eng/h_wr05256.html
3. WIPO – IP Policy and AI Toolkit
An international perspective on AI and intellectual property, with policy recommendations and use-case examples.
https://www.wipo.int/about-ip/en/artificial_intelligence/
These resources support innovators at every stage, from idea to execution, and provide helpful guidance for protecting both your work and your long-term impact.
Community Champions: Brian Chau
Lawyer and Patent Agent
Brian Chau is a lawyer licensed in Ontario and New York, and a registered patent agent with both the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO). He holds a background in Electrical Engineering.
Brian specializes in obtaining patent protection and developing intellectual property strategies for innovations in artificial intelligence and machine learning. His work supports companies and founders working at the intersection of technology and innovation.
We’re looking forward to having Brian join us at this week’s event, where he’ll share his perspective on how innovators can protect their work in today’s evolving AI landscape.
Your Voice: Reader Question of the Month
As AI continues to transform how we create and build, the rules around protecting that work are still evolving.
This month, we want to hear from you:
What’s one question you have about intellectual property and AI?
Your feedback helps shape the conversations we bring to future events and newsletters. Whether it’s about copyright, patents, trade secrets, or ethical use, we’d love to know what’s on your mind.