When I first heard about Lisa Ascolese, known as “The Inventress,” I knew I wanted to bring her story to Clause 8.

Lisa’s path into inventing began after her family moved to Brooklyn, New York, where her creativity and curiosity found room to grow. She started inventing at a young age, driven by the simple desire to solve everyday problems. That curiosity evolved into a lifelong passion for turning ideas into reality. Her first major success—the Bosom Buddy breastfeeding cape—opened doors to retail shelves, QVC appearances, and a deep understanding of what it truly takes to bring a product to market.

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In our conversation, Lisa and I talk about what inventors often learn the hard way: that success requires persistence, self-belief, and an understanding of both patents and business. She shares how she built Inventing from A to Z, a company that helps independent inventors navigate everything from concept to commercialization, and why she tells every creator:

“A patent doesn’t sell your product—you do.”

Lisa also offers insights for patent attorneys—encouraging them to ask inventors where they see their product being sold before diving into legal protection. Her perspective bridges the gap between invention and entrepreneurship, showing how passion and practicality go hand in hand.

For anyone ready to turn ideas into impact, Lisa’s story is both inspiring and instructive. Her new book, “The Inventress’s Guide to Inventing The Right Way: All Or Nothing, Now Or Never”, is an essential companion for creators determined to make their vision real.

🎧 Listen to the Full Episode now on YouTube here 📌 Sponsored by Tradespace – where ideas take flight.

At the Via LA 2025 Bridge Summit in San Francisco, Clause 8 host Eli Mazour sat down with two leaders who play pivotal roles in connecting innovators and licensees around the world:

* Jane Bu, Chief Licensing Officer at Via LA, the world’s largest patent pool. (You can listen to Eli’s previous conversation with Via’s President, Heath Hoglund, here).

* Rob Tobias, CEO & President of HDMI LA, the organization formed by Hitachi, Matsushita, Maxell, Philips, Silicon Image, Sony, Thomson and Toshiba to manage and promote the now ubiquitous HDMI interface.

In this episode, the discussion turns to the difficulties of licensing in Asia — not as an abstract policy topic, but as a practical reality shaped by culture, relationships, and business expectations.

Jane Bu reflects on how negotiations in Asian markets often rely less on formal processes and more on mutual trust built through repeated, in-person engagement. She also discusses China’s transformation from a latecomer in IP to one of the most active and sophisticated licensing environments in the world — and why patience and long-term relationship-building remain essential for licensors and licensees alike.

From a different perspective, Rob Tobias explains how HDMI’s licensing framework relies on more than patents alone. He outlines how trademarks and brand protection have played a central role in ensuring compliance, maintaining quality, and driving global adoption of the HDMI standard — including in complex markets such as China and India.

Together, their insights highlight how successful licensing in Asia depends as much on understanding people and context as it does on legal or technical structures.

🔔 Listen now via the Clause 8 Podcast 📌 Sponsored by TradeSpace – where ideas take flight 🖋️Subscribe to Voice of IP for more in-depth conversations on patents, licensing, and innovation.

Tech transfer has long been a critical but often overlooked part of the intellectual property system. For decades, the Bayh-Dole Act has guided how federally funded research moves from university labs into the marketplace. The system has generated hundreds of thousands of inventions and startups — and, as Laura Peter notes, led to nearly $2 trillion in economic growth through tech transfer. While widely regarded as a success, new march-in rights and “patent revenue sharing” proposals from policymakers seek to change that.

In this episode of the Clause 8 Podcast, Eli spoke with Laura Peter, former Deputy Director of the USPTO in the first Trump administration and current Executive Director of Research Commercialization and Partnerships at UNC Charlotte. With experience in Silicon Valley, government, and academia, Laura brings a unique perspective to the challenges and opportunities facing tech transfer today.

They cover:

* How Laura first met Andrei Iancu — and how that led to her appointment as Deputy Director when he was chosen as the Director of the USPTO.

* Lessons learned working in the first Trump administration about what to expect on the IP policy front this time around.

* The distinct role patents play for startups versus large companies.

* The lasting impact of the Bayh-Dole Act and how it reshaped tech transfer.

* How funding cuts, private investment pressures, and PTAB swings are affecting university research.

* Laura’s observation that proposals from the last administration to seize IP rights to lower drug prices haven’t been rescinded — and what that could mean for future policy.

Why it matters

The Bayh-Dole framework has been a cornerstone of U.S. innovation for more than forty years. Changes to how federally funded research is commercialized — whether through funding cuts, new government claims on patents, or expanded march-in rights — could redefine the balance between universities, startups, and industry. Laura’s perspective highlights not only the risks and opportunities, but also how unresolved policy proposals on government seizure of IP could reshape future debates.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

📌 Sponsored by Tradespace – where ideas take flight.

🔔 Subscribe to the Clause 8 Podcast for more conversations on IP and innovation.

👉 Should the government play a bigger role in how university research is commercialized? Share your thoughts in the comments.

In To Invent Is Divine: Creativity and Ownership, Jim makes the case that creativity and ownership are inseparable—and that weakening intellectual property rights threatens the flourishing that invention enables. He draws connections between faith, history, and policy to explore why protecting intellectual property is about more than law or economics.

Highlights from our conversation:

* From Genesis to Jefferson: How creation implies ownership, and why even some Founders wrestled with protecting that principle in law.

* Cycles of Patent Strength and Weakness: Why America’s “golden age” of inventors gave way to Progressive Era restraints—and how history may be repeating itself.

* Policy at the Crossroads: Jim breaks down three bipartisan bills—PARA, PREVAIL, and RESTORE—and what it will take to get them passed.

* Leadership at the USPTO: Why Acting Director Coke Morgan Stewart has already made an impact, and Jim perspective on the incoming Director John Squires and the path that he should follow.

* Bipartisanship Matters: From his work with Eagle Forum, Jim explains why protecting patents requires coalition-building across party lines.

Why it matters

Creativity without ownership can lead to secrecy, stagnation, and scarcity. When the two are combined, society benefits from innovation and progress. Jim’s perspective offers both philosophical and practical insight into the patent debates shaping America’s innovation future.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

📘 Learn more about James’s book “To Invent Is Divine, Creativity and Ownership” here.

👉 Do you think America needs stronger patent rights to fuel the next wave of innovation? Share your thoughts in the comments.

📢 Giveaway: Everyone who subscribes to the Clause 8 YouTube channel and comments on this episode’s video with the hashtag #Clause8Podcast will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of James Edwards’s book To Invent Is Divine: Creativity and Ownership

From Coke Morgan Stewart’s decisive actions at the USPTO, to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s unexpected “patent tax” trial balloon, to the ongoing Federal Circuit drama — it felt impossible to figure out where to start telling the story.

The only way to make sense of it all was to bring in three of our favorite journalists who cover these issues every day:

* Eileen McDermott, Editor-in-Chief of IPWatchdog

* Dani Kass, Senior Reporter at Law360

* Michael Shapiro, Senior Reporter at Bloomberg

Together, we unpacked the biggest developments, why they matter, and how they’re being covered — with behind-the-scenes stories and candid insights about what it’s like to report on patents and IP.

What We Covered

USPTO’s New Direction

* Coke Morgan Stewart’s rapid moves as acting director — especially at the PTAB

* How she’s balancing speed, decisiveness, and practical limits

Patent Tax Story

* The Wall Street Journal report on a possible tax on patent value

* Lutnick’s role and Stewart’s public comments walking a fine line

Choosing a USPTO Director & John Squires

* Breaking news about John Squires’ nomination and confirmation process

* Early signals of what he’ll prioritize as director

Federal Circuit & Judge Newman

* How practitioner tips shape coverage of the court

* Judge Pauline Newman’s saga — and what it’s like getting to know her personally

On the Hill

* Tillis, Coons, and the shifting dynamics in Congress

* Prospects for PERA (101), PREVAIL (PTAB), and RESTORE (injunctions)

Copyright & AI

* The firing of Shira Perlmutter as head of the Copyright Office

* Pushback against the office’s AI guidance

Behind the Notebook

* How these reporters choose stories and what they wish got more attention

* Why they love covering the IP community, despite all the complexities

* Impact of judges, public officials, and Bloomberg terminal users following their coverage

The discussion reveals how much these journalists shape — and are shaped by — the IP world itself. They’re not just reporting on it; they’re in constant dialogue with practitioners, policymakers, and innovators who live with these changes every day. Judges read their work, practitioners feed them stories, and policymakers react to their reporting.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome & Guest Intros01:23 – What’s your vantage point in the IP world?17:53 – How do you decide what’s worth covering in IP news?22:49 – What’s the mood in the patent community right now?32:33 – The proposed ‘patent tax’: threat or opportunity?38:02 – The politics behind selecting a USPTO Director54:21 – Final thoughts and advice for the IP community

Subscribe & Support on YouTube

Clause 8’s new season is recorded from our brand-new studio — and, for the first time, every episode will be available in video. If you’d like to support the show and catch all the new video content, please subscribe for free on YouTube so we can reach even more people interested in the IP story.

PTO 'whistleblower' Julie Burke and patent prosecution guru Clint Mehall join Eli on the season finale of Clause 8 to break down what’s happening at the USPTO—and what’s still left to be done.

On this episode, they discuss:

*Insights from the Reddit r/patentexaminer thread

*Previous and current plans to reduce the record patent application backlog

*Should the USPTO withdraw patent eligibility example 47 for AI?

*Previous administration’s decision to end AFCP program and ideas for variation of AFCP program to help reduce the backlog

*Misguided priorities and personnel decisions during last administration

*Improving morale and performance of examiners

*Adjusting credit system & improving culture to help examiners identify allowable subject matter

*Choice of Valencia Wallace Smith as Acting Commissioner for Patents

*USPTO’s decision to deprioritize examination of continuation patent applications

*USPTO rescinding memorandum for discretionary denials at PTAB and Director taking over handling of the requests for discretionary denials

*Aligning post-grant proceedings at PTAB with mission of USPTO

*Suggestions about switching to a registration system for patents that does not require examination

And, much more!

What is the actual value of patents? Inventors and companies invest millions in obtaining patents, believing they are valuable assets. Yet, their true worth is rarely quantified.

For this episode of Clause 8, Eli Mazour brings together three of the most insightful experts in the patent valuation space: Michal Malkovich, Vice President at Charles River Associates; Alejandra Loaiza Delgado, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Econ Edge; and Mike Pellegrino, President and Founder of Pellegrino & Associates.

Throughout this discussion, you’ll notice that despite their different experiences and perspectives, they share one goal: getting to the truth about patent valuation.

Host Eli Mazour talks with Heath Hoglund, President of Via LA, to break down the role of patent pools in today’s innovation landscape.

Tune in as they discuss:

*The balance between licensors and licensees—and how Via LA acts as a bridge between them

*Merger of Via Licensing and MPEG LA in 2003 to form Via LA

*How Dolby’s strong brand helped it succeed with technology licensing

*The challenges of starting a new patent pool program and what makes one successful

*Future of patent pools

*Heath’s story of founding Puerto Rico’s first IP boutique before becoming head of IP & standards at Dolby

Kathy Duda is the President of The Patent Office Professional Association (POPA), which is the union representing USPTO patent examiners. On this episode, she discusses why she remains hopeful amidst current uncertainty around new return to office policies.

In the episode, she also discusses:

*Positive collaboration with Acting Director Coke Morgan Stewart

Getting first involved with POPA after it helped her during her pregnancy

Negotiating the first collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the USPTO in 40 years

Why she’s not getting a whole lot of sleep recently

Examiners waiting for finality regarding decisions about being able to continue to work remotely

Record backlog reached at the USPTO during last administration & work to bring it down

Impact of AI & what examination might look like in 30 years

Disclaimer

Join Eli Mazour as he explores the vital role of the U.S. patent system in fostering innovation. Entrepreneur Patrick Murray shares his journey from ideation to patent acquisition with Radium Payments, emphasizing the importance of intellectual property in business validation. Lisa Mueller, host of the AUTM on the Air podcast, delves into tech transfer, revealing how universities push innovations from labs to marketplaces. This episode underscores patents as essential drivers of American entrepreneurship and academic innovation, providing a nuanced look at their ongoing impact on business and technology.