Brand & New

As AI-generated music floods the market, the music industry faces unprecedented questions about creativity, copyright, and compensation. But behind every evolving technology and headline debate are the lawyers, often musicians themselves, who navigate the space where art and law converge.

In this episode of Brand & New, guest host Rudy Gaines sits down with two leading intellectual property practitioners whose personal and professional lives are deeply connected to music: INTA Past President Mei-lan Stark, Executive Vice President and Chief Counsel for IP at NBCUniversal (USA) and Rick McMurtry, Founding Partner at M|C Law Group (USA). 

From childhood music lessons to high-stakes licensing negotiations, both guests share how their lifelong connection to music has shaped their careers, protecting creative works. Together, they trace the soundtrack of the industry’s evolution, from the era of Napster to today’s AI-driven soundscapes, exploring how innovation challenges what it means to be both creator and protector. 

This episode was recorded live during INTA’s 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego, California.

Resources: 

About Mei-lan Stark

About Rick McMurtry

About Rudy Gaines

Related Brand & New Episodes:

• The Beat of IP: A Conversation with The Opposition™ Band
• Certifying Human Music in the Age of AI

INTA's 2026 Annual Meeting

In today’s episode of Brand & New, we’re diving into a timely and complex question: How can intellectual property (IP) systems earn public trust again? 

Behind the headlines and the legal frameworks, what’s really at stake is how innovation happens, and whether creators, entrepreneurs, and consumers continue to believe in the value of protection, fairness, and trust. 

Joining us to explore this critical conversation is Megan Carpenter, Dean of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Franklin Pierce School of Law (USA). Under her leadership, UNH Franklin Pierce has continued to pioneer new ways of teaching IP, bridging theory with practice, and preparing the next generation of lawyers, policymakers, and creators to navigate an increasingly complex innovation economy. 

Ms. Carpenter shares how IP education is evolving, what it means to rebuild trust in IP systems, and why innovators and brand owners should care deeply about the future of IP. 

This is the third episode in INTA’s Women's Leaders Series, a collaboration between Brand and New, and the Women's LeadershIP Initiative. It brings together women leaders and diverse roles and representing various organization types in the brands and IP ecosystem. These women are at the forefront of industry trends and the conversation around how the landscape for women leaders is being shaped today. 

This episode is also sponsored by the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, a global leader in intellectual property education, innovation, and research.  

RESOURCES: 

About Franklin Pierce School of Law 

About Megan Carpenter 

About The Women's LeadershIP Initiative 

What happens when counterfeiting, crypto, and trademarks collide? This episode of Brand & New  takes you inside the fast-moving world of Web3, where brand protection meets blockchain. Host Willard Knox chats with Moish Peltz, of Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP about the opportunities, and risks, facing companies in decentralized digital spaces. From NFTs to stablecoins to enforcement strategies that actually work, learn why blockchain is reshaping how brands defend their identities online.

This episode was recorded during INTA's 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego.

Related Resources: 

About Moish Peltz 

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs): A Report From INTA (2023)

London has once again been recognized as the world’s leading city brand, topping the Brand Finance Global City Index for the second consecutive year. But what does it mean for a city to be a “brand,” and what factors contribute to London’s enduring global appeal?

In this episode of Brand & New, we explore how London has built and sustained its reputation as a destination admired worldwide for all the right reasons: its dynamic business environment, its rich cultural heritage, its academic and scientific excellence, and its ability to innovate and adapt. And as INTA gets set to head to London for its 2026 Annual Meeting, we ask what lessons other cities  and global businesses can learn from London’s example.

We are joined by two distinguished voices, Konrad Jagodzinski, Place Branding Director at Brand Finance, and Tracy Halliwell MBE, Director of Tourism, Conventions, and Major Events at London & Partners. Together, they discuss how London continues to thrive as a global brand and why its blend of commerce, culture, and creativity keeps it at the top of the world stage.

This episode of Brand & New is hosted by Willard Knox.

Related Resources:

About Konrad Jagodzinski

About Tracy Halliwell

About Brand Finance

Brand Finance lobal City Index 2024 

About INTA 2026 Annual Meeting

The numbers tell a stark story: According to a recent study from the United Nations, women are three times more likely than men to lose their jobs to AI automation, 25 percent less likely to adopt AI tools, and represent only 22 percent of AI professionals globally. 

In this episode of Brand & New, host Ayala Deutsch explores this critical paradox with Dr. Felicia Newhouse, founder of the AI Powered Women Summit at MIT, and Nikita Roy, founder of Newsroom Robots Labs, host of the globally acclaimed Newsroom Robots podcast. She also leads the AI Journalism Lab at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York (CUNY).

Together, they shed light on how women can move from the margins to the center of AI development, leveraging unique strengths to shape technology that truly serves humanity. From overcoming impostor syndrome to building AI-powered businesses, this conversation provides concrete strategies for women to claim their space in the AI revolution. 

This episode of Brand & New was produced in collaboration with The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative as part of The Women Leaders Series. The series brings together women leaders in diverse roles, not just in the IP space, but within brands, small businesses, and beyond. 

RESOURCES: 

About Dr. Felicia Newhouse 

About Nikita Roy 

AI Powered Women Summit 

Newroom Robots Lab 

AI Journalism Lab at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism 

Shattering Systemic Barriers: How to Advance Gender Diversity in the Intellectual Property Profession (INTA, 2024) 

Your brand drives consumer behavior, shapes purchasing decisions, and fuels economic growth, but can you prove it with numbers? While companies invest millions in logos, marketing campaigns, and brand positioning, most struggle to move beyond subjective descriptions like "strong brand recognition" or "customer loyalty" when communicating value to investors, lenders, or their own C-suite. Meanwhile, investors are increasingly scrutinizing intangible assets to assess future returns, and banks are factoring IP value into lending decisions. The question isn't whether your brand has value, it's whether you can quantify, benchmark, and strategically leverage that value for a competitive advantage.

Today’s guest is David Haigh, founder and CEO of Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy that values over 5,000 brands globally each year. With 30+ years of experience as a pioneer in brand valuation, Haigh shares how organizations can assess, benchmark, and strategically leverage their intangible assets.

Exclusive for INTA Corporate Members: 

INTA is committed to providing brand professionals with a solid understanding of brand valuation to help them become key partners to their finance teams and effectively communicate the value of trademarks to both members of the C-suite and externally. 

We are excited to announce our new partnership with Brand Finance. INTA Corporate Members can now access free brand valuation information and receive a no-obligation consultation call for guidance on brand management and strategy. Whether your brand is already in Brand Finance's global database at Brandirectory.com or needs initial assessment, this member-exclusive benefit provides direct access to the expertise you heard in this episode. Learn how your brand can become a strategic asset for business growth and financing decisions.

Resources:

• About David Haigh
• About Brand Finance
• Access your free Brand Finance brand valuation (INTA Corporate Members only)
• INTA's Integrating IP, Finance, and Valuation Workshop Series
• IP Reporting for Brands Presidential Taskforce Report (INTA, 2024)

In this episode of Brand & New, we’re bringing you the human story behind the headlines. Willard Knox sits down with Mariya Ortynska and Yuliya Prokhoda from the National Association of Patent Attorneys of Ukraine (NAPA) for a conversation that redefines what it means to practice law under impossible circumstances. From distributing laptops during air raids to maintaining client deadlines while missiles fall, these attorneys embody resilience. This episode isn’t just about trademark law or patent prosecution; it’s about the unbreakable human spirit and the belief that innovation and legal protection must continue, especially in humanity’s darkest hours.  

*This episode was pre-recorded during INTA’s 2025 Annual Meeting, May 17-21, in San Diego, California. 

Resources:  

About NAPA 

About Mariya Ortynska 

About Yuliya Prokhoda 

INTA Resouces: The Status of
Intellectual Property in Russia and Ukraine 

On this episode of Brand & New, INTA Chief Policy Officer Heather Steinmeyer sits down with David Gooder, INTA's newly appointed Senior Advisor and former Commissioner for Trademarks at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). 

In this insightful conversation recorded at INTA's 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, Ms. Steinmeyer and Mr. Gooder explore the evolving role of global intellectual property (IP) offices, as well as the delicate balance IP offices must strike between serving their users and advancing broader competitiveness goals. 

Mr. Gooder shares his unique perspective from both sides of the IP ecosystem, having worked as chief trademark counsel at Jack Daniels Properties before leading the USPTO's trademark operations through five transformative years. 

As he transitions into his new role helping INTA deepen collaboration with IP offices worldwide, this conversation offers valuable insights into the future of IP protection and the strategic importance of trademark systems in fostering global competitiveness. 

Resources:  

About David Gooder 

INTA Welcomes David Gooder as Senior Advisor (INTA, May 2025) 

David Gooder to depart USPTO (USPTO, February 2025) 

Innovation is arguably the holy grail for business success. It fuels new and increased market share, profits, and brand value. And, ultimately, it is the pathway to industry leadership and legacy. “Disruptive innovation” is a term coined by Harvard Business School professor, Clayton Christenson, in the 90’s. It describes a process by which entrepreneurs break the low end or new market and create business models that are different from existing ones in those markets, thereby disrupting the status quo and, usually, driving change in the market sector and beyond.

In this episode of Brand & New we will zoom in on the idea of disruptive innovation, what it means, how it translates into intellectual property, how brand professionals can support and even advance it, the right corporate culture to foster it, and what disruption may look like in the near future. We also look at these topics against the backdrop of recent and rapid developments in artificial intelligence. Our guest, Aoife McArdle, has a storied career in this space, exemplified with experiences at the forefront of many disruptive innovators, including at Airbnb, Apple, and Skype. A law and business development expert by training, Ms. McArdle is a strategic thinker who has been a key initiator and driver in the rapid growth of many startups and well-established companies. 

Ms. McArdle occupied prominent legal leadership roles in major international tech companies. This includes five years as European legal counsel at Apple, more than five years at Skype as their global head of commercial and regulatory affairs. As a founding leader of Airbnb’s Experiences business, she led their business affairs unit and their work in the areas on social impact and diversity and inclusion. In this role, she initiated and led a 10-year global partnership deal with the International Olympic Committee, the largest such deal for the company. With her broad experience navigating complex regulatory and policy environments for companies expanding globally, Ms. McArdle has become a sought-after innovation and disruption expert.

Brand & New is a production of the International Trademark Association
Hosted by Audrey Dauvet - Contribution of M. Halle & S. Lagedamond - Music by JD Beats

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT INTA.ORG

To go further:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aomcardle/

Also of interest:
https://hbr.org/2015/12/what-is-disruptive-innovation

The theme for World IP Day 2025 is "IP and Music: Feel the Beat of IP." In celebration, this episode of Brand & New features the founders of The Opposition™, a band comprised entirely of International Trademark Association (INTA) members. Host Willard Knox, chats with two of the band’s co-founders, Richard Dissmann and Jason Vogel, to uncover how this unique musical collective came together and evolved into a must-see phenomenon at INTA Annual Meetings. 

From their humble beginnings to drawing crowds of 2,000+ intellectual property (IP) professionals at their performance at the 2024 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, The Opposition™ shares behind-the-scenes stories of balancing legal careers with their love for music. The duo also offers fascinating insights on the intersection of IP and AI in the music industry. 

Resources:  

World IP Day 

About Richard Dissmann 

About Jason Vogel