IP case study: Building BirdShades’ IP strategy
The bird population is under threat. The number has been decreasing significantly in the last century due to factors such as habitat loss, pesticide use and bird flu, with some species even facing extinction.
The second most common human-caused reason for the death of birds worldwide is collisions with windows. The British Trust for Ornithology estimates that up to 100 million birds crash into glass each year in the UK, a third of which do not survive. This number will only increase as humans continue to infringe on birds’ natural habitats, building structures with large glass windows – appealing for humans but invisible and dangerous for birds.
This danger is what BirdShades is tackling. Founder, Dominique Waddoup, started BirdShades to offer a product which would reduce the number of bird-window collisions whilst aligning with the architectural design of any building.
Previously, solutions either impacted the appearance of the glass for humans or involved avoiding the use of glass completely. In contrast, BirdShades’ window film takes advantage of something which only birds can see: UV light. The film is invisible to the human eye and can be easily installed on any size or shape of window: protecting birds whilst preserving all the benefits of glass.
The film was designed by a specialist team of biologists and material scientists, backing their cutting-edge technology with concrete research and evidence. According to a scientific study by the Glass Traps Foundation & Polish Academy of Sciences in Poland, which monitored the efficacy of the product under real-world conditions, BirdShades’ film was shown to reduce the risk of bird-window collisions by more than 80%.
Construction and conservation
As with any highly innovative new technology, having a robust intellectual property portfolio in place is vital. Mathys & Squire started working with BirdShades from the beginning of the business, at which point their second invention was able to be protected. They were attracted by Mathys & Squire’s creativity in our approach to client service, as well as by our international focus, and decided to make a switch to us from their previous patent attorney.
Once their second patent application had been filed with the help of Mathys & Squire, we commenced patent mining to identify new opportunities and maximise the protection covering BirdShades’ innovations. It is important to think outside the box when it comes to IP strategy, protecting not just the product, but also the use of the product, as well as looking ahead to protect potential future product features.
Since then, BirdShades has continued to grow and work towards increasing sales with great success. For example, in November, the startup was featured in a BBC article after their film was installed for the first time in the UK – at the Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Gloucester. At every point of this journey, Mathys & Squire has made sure to align their IP strategy with their long-term business goals. We have helped to extend the protection to further countries, in particular the U.S. and Canada, to make sure that the client is in the best position to expand into these markets. We have also assisted in registering BirdShades as a trademark in several jurisdictions to secure the marketing effort which goes hand-in-hand with the product.
We have worked with Mathys & Squire for many years and truly value their strategic mindset and startup-friendly approach. It is a pleasure to work with Andreas Wietzke and his team. Andreas has an exceptional ability to look at our technology and IP from multiple angles, which has significantly strengthened our overall IP strategy. He combines high-tech patent expertise with a very client-focused approach and a genuine understanding for various challenges and opportunities.
Dominique Waddoup
Founder, BirdShades
Integrating scientific innovation with a proactive IP strategy informed by an expert knowledge of the startup landscape, BirdShades has achieved both commercial success and a positive real-world impact, creating a better future for nature.
For more information about BirdShades and its technology, click here to visit their website.