The world around us is becoming increasingly driven by data. It is the cornerstone of many emerging technologies, from bioinformatics to cryptocurrency: without the collection, processing and storage of massive amounts of data, these technologies, and many more, simply could not exist. This reliance on data has led to a corresponding boom in innovation in the fields of data security and encryption – in other words: maintaining the integrity of the data, and keeping the data safe.

One of the prominent innovations in the field of data security is the development of blockchain technology. Most closely associated with transactions of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, blockchain technology has data security applications in all fields, ultimately preventing the tampering of data by malicious parties by storing information on a distributed ledger which is maintained by a network of devices, rather than by a central authority.

Encryption of data is another burgeoning field, whereby data that has been generated is disguised beyond all recognition, and can only be retrieved by those in possession of particular “keys”. The algorithms used to encrypt data are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and within this field, we also see the emergence of quantum cryptography, which makes use of counterintuitive quantum effects to further improve the efficiency and effectiveness of cryptographic algorithms. With quantum computing fast becoming a reality, we expect many exciting developments in this field too.

At Mewburn Ellis, our attorneys have a wealth of experience in handling patent applications for computer-implemented inventions. We have a detailed understanding of the considerations which must be borne in mind to obtain patent protection for technology which was traditionally excluded from patent protection, such as algorithms, and data management, and our attorneys are greatly skilled in identifying the so-called “technical effects”, and placing them at the centre of our patent applications and submissions to patent offices, in order to get the best results for our clients.