‘We almost missed it’: Stories from the frontlines of IP analysis
Episode notes
In this podcast episode, CAS IP experts Paul Peters and Rob Austin delve into the world of intellectual property (IP) analysis, sharing memorable stories that highlight how prior art can surface in unexpected places and influence patent outcomes. Drawing on their extensive experience, they emphasize the importance of collaboration between attorneys and IP searchers, illustrating how sources such as comic books, keynote speeches, YouTube videos, textbooks, and chemical safety data sheets have played pivotal roles in patent disputes and invalidations. Their discussion highlights the crucial importance of thorough and innovative prior art searches throughout the patent lifecycle. In this podcast, we explore:
- Unusual prior art examples: Donald Duck, Dennis the Menace, Steve Jobs’ keynote, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- The growing role of YouTube and other non-patent literature in patent disputes.
- The importance of chemical documentation, like MSDS and product catalogs, in invalidating claims.
- The value of teamwork and clear communication between IP professionals and legal teams.
Experts
Paul Peters is the Director of the Global Customer Success Specialists team for CAS. His team works with our customers to help them understand the value of their investment in CAS solutions. His team collaborates closely with product development and content operations to continually enhance the sophistication of CAS solutions and refine the indexing process. He has worked closely with numerous patent offices to train patent examiners and the Patent Documentation Group (PDG) working groups on solving various patent-related search challenges. Paul has been with CAS for over 30 years and holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences in Noord-Holland.
Rob Austin joined CAS in August 2025 as a Senior Customer Success Specialist. In his role, Rob supports CAS customers worldwide with technical training and product consulting.
Rob has extensive experience in patent information and intellectual property searching, with over 28 years of experience working with CAS solutions. His professional background includes over nine years as a professional searcher at Unilever, where he collaborated with global patent attorneys and R&D teams. Paul also worked as a FIZ Karlsruhe trainer and as a product manager and trainer for the Derwent World Patents Index, with editorial expertise in pharmaceutical and polymer science indexing. Rob holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Applied Chemistry from the University of Huddersfield in the UK.