The World Intellectual Property Organization currently lists 1.6 million scientific articles on artificial intelligence and over 340,000 patent applications relating to this technology.
Computer vision, which includes image recognition (an essential component of autonomous vehicles, in particular), is the most popular application of artificial intelligence. It is mentioned in 49% of patents relating to artificial intelligence.
Also read: Artificial intelligence patent applications soar
Major groups such as IBM, with 8290 inventions in artificial intelligence, have understood the importance of protecting their intangible assets since the early 80s, by securing their market and the emerging markets brought about by the discovery and evolution of artificial intelligence.
Protecting an innovation is all too often an automatic process for large industrial groups, who certainly have the financial means to multiply the number of patents they register. But for YesMyPatent, invention protection should be accessible to all, in terms of cost, quality of work and accessibility of information.
Interview with Jason Attia, CEO of DefensIA
DefensIA is a young start-up specializing in artificial intelligence for security. Its CEO, Jason Attia, is a young tech entrepreneur who adopted an industrial property strategy very early on in his business project.
YMP: Jason, can you tell us about your innovation?
Jason Attia: The aim of DefensIA is to improve security in the city by analyzing the video stream from city cameras or private cameras placed at the entrances to establishments such as schools, concert halls, religious establishments, jewelry stores, gas stations, tobacconists, cinemas… and any establishment frequented by the public that could be subject to a terrorist attack or robbery.
The idea is that, thanks to the camera placed at the entrance to the establishment, we remotely retrieve the video stream and analyze it to detect whether an armed or hooded individual is about to enter the establishment.
Once the algorithm has detected the threat, a signal is sent to a connected lock that has been placed on the establishment’s front door to lock it and prevent the unwary individual from entering.
At the same time, an alert is sent to the emergency services to intercept the individual.
YMP: At what point did you feel it was important to get advice on your IP strategy?
Jason Attia: I think that if you really believe in your project, it’s important to be able to secure your invention as quickly as possible. In my case, this was done as soon as the technical part was finalized.
It’s vital not to be copied by the big companies working in our field. They have far greater financial resources than a young start-up like DefensIA, and many human resources who can realize our invention in a very limited time. It was therefore unthinkable for us to see months, even years of R&D work and investment ruined.
I plan to raise my first round of financing in the next few months. And the first investors I met had already told me that a start-up with an innovative concept, but no patent, is “like an empty shell” and that they were unlikely to invest without my industrial property strategy already defined.
YMP: Why did you decide to carry out a patentability study and then apply for a French patent?
Jason Attia : A patentability study is necessary to avoid wasting time and money filing a patent that won’t be accepted by the INPI.
In the case of DefensIA, we have an advanced technology, but it was important to check that it didn’t already exist somewhere in the world, or that it hadn’t already been disclosed, which would have rendered our patent inadmissible. We also wanted to check that we weren’t infringing any existing technology.
Our patentability study enabled us to be sure that the invention was indeed patentable, before spending a larger budget on drafting a patent application.
Once the patentability study carried out with our industrial property firm came back positive, we decided to quickly file a patent application.
My personalized patentability study
By an INPI-accredited industrial property attorney
YMP: With the benefit of hindsight, what advice would you give to independent inventors or start-ups like yourself?
Jason Attia: My advice is to raise a minimum amount of funds to protect their invention.
If you believe in your idea, and your project is likely to be copied, then it needs to be protected quickly. Investors are attracted by young companies who believe in their product, and who are able to find the initial funds for their IP strategy, before putting millions into it themselves. Don’t hesitate to seek advice from an industrial property firm who can assist you in your strategic steps.
Read also: Patent, an argument for your fund raising Patent, an argument for your fund raising
YMP: What stage is your start-up at today?
Jason Attia: All the technical aspects are now complete, and we’re in the middle of a test phase in 3 establishments in the Paris suburbs, which are proving to be very promising.
We’ve also forged partnerships with camera and lock installation companies, and the patent filing has helped us in the sense that we now have real legitimacy in the market. People listen to us differently, and take us more seriously.
We’ll be able to start the marketing phase in a few weeks’ time, and we’ve turned to YesMyPatent, the digitalized service of our industrial property firm, Touroude & Associates, for our product development and licensing strategy.
Find out more about DefensIA on the website www.defensia.fr
