Hosted by ipCG founder John Cronin, Invent Anything unpacks how raw ideas become defensible intellectual property. Each episode draws on three decades of patent strategy, invention methodology, and innovation work with inventors, operators, and Fortune 500 leadership teams.
Hosted by ipCG founder John Cronin, Invent Anything unpacks how raw ideas become defensible intellectual property. Each episode draws on three decades of patent strategy, invention methodology, and innovation work with inventors, operators, and Fortune 500 leadership teams.
A small number of patents on the feature customers pay for can outweigh a huge portfolio. Which of yours carry the weight?
More on this: https://www.ipcg.com/services/ip-budgeting?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=short&utm_campaign=invent-anything-shorts&utm_content=IAS-03
Full episode: 6 Ways of Making Money with Patents https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxsbg8JIBRk
Strategy education from ipCapital Group, an IP strategy consulting firm (not a law firm). Nothing here is legal advice.
Original music and sound design by ipCapital Group.
AI can give you a hundred invention ideas. The useful work starts with the next question: which one solves a problem people actually care about—and what would you build to find out?
Full episode: https://youtu.be/vw_ruDzFTD0
This Week in IP, from Invent Anything. Seth Cronin | ipCapital Group
Music: “The Crate Desk” — original composition for Invent Anything. Piano recordings by Versilian Studios (tonejs-instruments), CC BY 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
#ThisWeekInIP #Invention #AI
AI can give you a hundred invention ideas. Which one solves a problem somebody actually cares about—and what would you build to find out?
Seth Cronin looks at where AI belongs in invention: new Atlassian research on brainstorming, a Procore patent for smart safety glasses, and a simple travel-mug problem that turns a list of features into something you can test.
Also: MIT’s dissolving batteries, Microchip’s completed Hailo acquisition, a robotic wine server, eleven Purdue patents, and Subaru’s exterior-airbag design for protecting people outside the vehicle.
Where has AI helped you get from a plausible idea to a useful test? Share the specific example.
This Week in IP, from Invent Anything
Hosted by Seth Cronin | ipCapital Group
Planned release: September 29, 2026. Recorded September 23; sources dated September 21–22. The Minesoft IP Stack conversation mentioned in the episode was forthcoming at recording.
CHAPTERS
0:00 100 ideas. Now what?
0:36 MIT’s dissolving batteries
1:19 Microchip buys Hailo
2:04 A robotic wine server
2:54 Purdue’s eleven patents
3:42 AI and the first spark of invention
5:42 Procore’s smart safety glasses patent
6:24 A better travel mug: problem, constraints, test
8:22 What is different? The prior-art question
9:37 Subaru’s exterior-airbag patent
SOURCES
MIT — batteries that break down in the GI tract:
https://news.mit.edu/2026/batteries-safely-break-down-in-gi-tract-could-improve-ingestible-devices-0921
Microchip — completed Hailo acquisition:
https://ir.microchip.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1415/microchip-technology-completes-acquisition-of-hailo
New York Law School — RobinoVino:
https://news.nyls.edu/nyls-patent-law-clinic-secures-patent-for-ai-enabled-robotics-innovation/
Purdue — eleven recently issued patents:
https://stories.prf.org/september-edition-newly-issued-patents-26/
AUTM — definition of technology transfer:
https://autm.net/surveys-and-tools/tools/director-s-toolkit
Atlassian — Don’t outsource the spark:
https://www.atlassian.com/blog/ai-at-work/dont-outsource-the-spark-how-to-balance-human-thinking-and-ai
Brian Solis — commentary on human value and AI:
https://briansolis.com/2026/09/in-the-age-of-ai-the-brands-must-feel-more-human/
Procore — US 12,743,822 B2, “Dynamic generation of data objects using smart safety glasses,” granted September 22, 2026:
https://patentsgazette.uspto.gov/week38/OG/html/1550-4/US12743822-20260922.html
Subaru — US 12,741,608 B2, “Airbag apparatus,” granted September 22, 2026:
https://patentsgazette.uspto.gov/week38/OG/html/1550-4/US12741608-20260922.html
The Atlassian result concerns brainstorming tasks, not patentability. The MIT work includes animal testing. Patent disclosures do not establish a product launch, performance or safety. Generated illustrative scenes are not footage of the companies’ products.
MUSIC
“The Crate Desk” — original composition for Invent Anything. Piano recordings by Versilian Studios, packaged by Nicholaus P. Brosowsky (tonejs-instruments), CC BY 3.0; pitch-shifted, arranged and processed. No endorsement implied.
https://github.com/nbrosowsky/tonejs-instruments
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Additional sounds: Karoryfer Black and Blue Basses and VCSL (CC0); GeneralUser GS by S. Christian Collins. Jev LevelDrive saturation used under its MIT license.
https://schristiancollins.com/generaluser.php
#ThisWeekInIP #InventAnything #Invention #Innovation
A provisional buys three things: a date, a year, and "patent pending." But it only holds what it actually describes.
More on this: https://www.ipcg.com/services/ip-disclosures?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=short&utm_campaign=invent-anything-shorts&utm_content=IAS-18
Full episode: Your Provisional Patent Is Filed: Now What? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iGAl7UfD3Q
Strategy education from ipCapital Group, an IP strategy consulting firm (not a law firm). Nothing here is legal advice.
Original music and sound design by ipCapital Group.
A patent is worth what it lets someone do. Here's how ipCG thinks about valuation, in under a minute. What would you guess yours is worth?
More on this: https://www.ipcg.com/services/ip-valuation?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=short&utm_campaign=invent-anything-shorts&utm_content=IAS-01
Full episode: How Much is a Patent Worth? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZLNQ7TvqN8
Strategy education from ipCapital Group, an IP strategy consulting firm (not a law firm). Nothing here is legal advice.
Original music and sound design by ipCapital Group.
Inventory is on the way. Retailers expect delivery. Then a patent dispute raises a question about whether the product can enter the country.
The first Unofficial Gazette connects BoomCloud 360's complaint against Apple, Samsung and Google to the practical questions facing a product team. At the time covered by this episode, the USITC had opened an investigation; there was no infringement finding or import ban in this case. The launch scenario is hypothetical.
Full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkLxS9VyLeg
Official source, September 16, 2026:
https://www.usitc.gov/press_room/news_release/2026/er0916_69235.htm
News window: September 14-18, 2026. Recorded September 21, 2026. Original host performance; AI-assisted studio background from the full episode.
Original music: The Crate Desk. Piano recordings: Versilian Studios, packaged by Nicholaus P. Brosowsky in tonejs-instruments, CC BY 3.0. Recordings were pitch-shifted, arranged and processed. https://github.com/nbrosowsky/tonejs-instruments | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
#InventAnything #ProductDevelopment #Patents #Shorts
A net across the pool floor. Powered shafts. A different way to think about rescue.
Seth Cronin looks at a swimming-pool rescue patent application and the questions a pool operator would ask before trusting it. This is a published application, not evidence that the system is safe or commercially available.
Watch the full first episode of The Unofficial Gazette: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkLxS9VyLeg
Source: Automatic Rescue System for Swimming Pools, US 2026/0274385 A1, published September 17, 2026.
https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20260274385
Recorded September 21, 2026. Original host performance; AI-assisted studio background from the full episode. Original USPTO drawing.
Original music: The Crate Desk. Piano recordings: Versilian Studios, packaged by Nicholaus P. Brosowsky in tonejs-instruments, CC BY 3.0. Recordings were pitch-shifted, arranged and processed. https://github.com/nbrosowsky/tonejs-instruments | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
#InventAnything #Invention #Patents #Shorts
BoomCloud 360 is asking to block imports of certain Apple, Samsung and Google devices. What happens when a patent dispute becomes a product-launch problem?
In the first Unofficial Patent Gazette from Invent Anything, Seth Cronin looks at three audio patents, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and what the requested import restrictions could mean for product teams. At the time covered by this episode, the ITC had opened an investigation, with no infringement finding or import ban in this case.
Also this week: the reported $27.6 million Stratasys/Bambu Lab jury verdict, Oxford Nanopore's announcement of a preliminary injunction against MGI Tech, a focused spatial-audio patent search, and a published swimming-pool rescue application that raises a net from the pool floor.
If infringement is proven, should one patented feature be enough to keep an entire product out of the country? Or should compensation be enough? Let me know in the comments.
Subscribe to Invent Anything for more on patents, inventions, and the business of innovation.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Three patents and the U.S. border
0:47 Stratasys vs. Bambu Lab: the jury verdict
1:34 Oxford Nanopore and MGI Tech
2:16 BoomCloud vs. Apple, Samsung and Google
2:50 Why an ITC case becomes a product problem
3:37 The domestic-industry requirement
4:01 Apple's separate Supreme Court petition
5:02 What the spatial-audio patent data tells us
6:20 Beyond counting patents
6:51 Patent of the Week: a pool-rescue system
7:57 What changes for the product?
EPISODE
The Unofficial Patent Gazette, Episode 001: Patents at the Border
Host: Seth Cronin
Recorded September 21, 2026. News window: September 14-18, 2026. Apple's September 3 petition is included as background.
SOURCES
BoomCloud investigation, USITC 337-TA-1521:
https://www.usitc.gov/press_room/news_release/2026/er0916_69235.htm
Official notice identifying the three asserted patents, US 10,524,078; US 11,533,560; US 11,051,121:
https://www.usitc.gov/secretary/fed_reg_notices/337/337_1521_notice09162026sgl.pdf
Stratasys/Bambu Lab verdict reporting, Bloomberg Law:
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/tech-and-telecom-law/stratasys-wins-27-million-from-bambu-in-3d-printing-patent-suit
Oxford Nanopore company announcement, RNS 9084U:
https://www.tradingview.com/news/reuters.com,2026-09-16:newsml_RSP9084Ua:0-reg-oxford-nanopore-tech-preliminary-injunction-against-mgi-tech-gmbh/
Apple v. ITC, Supreme Court docket 26-316:
https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/26-316.html
Patent of the Week: Automatic Rescue System for Swimming Pools, US 2026/0274385 A1, Amir Rahimpour:
https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20260274385
PATENT DATA
Minesoft Origin searches, September 18, 2026. BoomCloud: 45 U.S. applications, grouped by application; continuations remain separate. Spatial audio: 642 results in the defined U.S. keyword search, published since 2016. These searches have different scopes. Counts are not separate inventions, market shares, or predictions of the case's outcome. The pool-rescue document is a published application, not evidence of a validated commercial product.
In this episode of Invent Anything, John Cronin explores one of the most powerful ideas in IP strategy: the perceived value of intellectual property. Drawing on 30+ years and thousands of clients at ipCapital Group, John explains how patents evolve from a legal right into a strategic business asset, and why litigation, the reason most people think patents exist, is actually the last resort.
Across six topics, John breaks down how IP creates real business value through litigation, monetization, dealmaking, and financing (M&A, raising money, and asset-based loans), and what ultimately drives and raises the perceived value of your IP. Whether you're an inventor, entrepreneur, executive, or investor, this is a practical roadmap for turning patents into leverage, credibility, and value.
You filed a provisional patent application. The clock is ticking on your year of protection. So what should you actually do with it?
In this episode of Invent Anything, John Cronin, who has spent three decades in intellectual property at IP Capital Group, walks through a practical, six-topic game plan for getting the most out of your provisional:
- Taking stock: what kind of provisional did you really file?
- Immediate actions to take in the first weeks
- What to do at the three-month and six-month marks
- How different players (inventors, CEOs, investors, CTOs) view your provisional
- Closing it out: abandon, or convert to a full patent?
- The future of intellectual asset management, and how agentic AI may soon handle much of this for you
Whether you're a first-time inventor, a startup, or part of a larger organization, this is a clear, business-minded plan for turning a provisional into real value.
What comes after you start building value from your first patent? In Part 2 of this series, John Cronin dives into advanced strategies for leveraging your IP in real-world business scenarios. Learn how to use patents to close deals with customers and vendors, raise investment, and combine multiple strategies to maximize value. This episode also explores the future of patents in an AI-driven world and how your patent could evolve into a powerful, self-driving asset.
What do you do after your first patent is granted? In Part 1 of this two-part series, John Cronin breaks down how to turn your patent into real business value. From licensing and litigation to M&A strategy and defending against copycats, this episode delivers a practical roadmap for inventors, founders, and executives looking to monetize and scale their IP. Learn the key decisions, trade-offs, and strategies that move a patent off the wall and into the market.
Build the Inventive Muscle Before AI Does 🚀
Is invention rare genius… or a skill you can train?
In this episode of Invent Anything, John Cronin shares how creative thinking is a learnable process that drives 10X–100X results
From his journey as IBM’s top inventor to building the IBM Patent Factory, he explains why invention is a muscle and how to strengthen it.
You’ll learn:
• Practical creativity tools like noun/verb thinking
• Why most organizations struggle to innovate
• How AI and AGI are creating a “digital inventive muscle”
The future of innovation is here. The only question is whether you’ll train for it.
Subscribe for more from Invent Anything.
Turn your invention disclosures into powerhouse assets. 💡🚀
In this episode of Invent Anything, John Cronin breaks down why the traditional invention disclosure process often falls short and how to transform it into an inventor-led, business-grade strategy that drives real ROI. From understanding claims, enablement, and prior art to expanding ideas through inventive thinking tools and business strategy alignment, this episode connects the dots between a simple disclosure and a high-value patent portfolio
You’ll learn:
Why most invention disclosures are too weak, too vague, or too disconnected from final patent claims
The true role of patent counsel and where inventors can add more value
Inventor-led thinking tools like inventing around, species/genus expansion, and master disclosure strategy
How business-grade thinking boosts licensing value, platform growth, and competitive advantage
How combining inventor-led and business-grade approaches can multiply patent strength and company valuation
If you’re an inventor, CEO, engineer, or anyone navigating the patent process, this episode offers a 360° view of how to build stronger patents, smarter portfolios, and more valuable intellectual property.
Subscribe for more insights on turning innovation into real-world impact.
The value of patents is rising again, fast. In this episode of Invent Anything, John Cronin breaks down why the IP value pendulum has swung back toward stronger patents, and what this dramatic shift means for CEOs, inventors, investors, product leaders, marketers, and legal teams.
Over the past decade, Inter Partes Review (IPR) weakened patents and made litigation unpredictable. But recent policy changes at the U.S. Patent Office have reversed course, restoring patent strength, enhancing enforceability, and shaking up IP strategy across industries.
Whether you're building an IP portfolio, navigating product roadmaps, defending against copycats, or trying to understand how AI will transform litigation, this episode gives you the full landscape.
