As startups increasingly rely on generative AI to build products, create content, and accelerate innovation, understanding the intellectual property risks is becoming a business necessity. This session explores how AI impacts patents, copyright, trademarks, and trade secrets, highlighting practical steps founders can take to protect their technology, brand, and competitive advantage while avoiding common pitfalls around ownership, inventorship, infringement, and information leakage. It also covers key considerations when using third-party AI tools, managing proprietary data, and preparing for investor, customer, and regulatory scrutiny.
Speaker: Gurbir Sidhu, Associate, Smart & Biggar
Smart & Biggar is Top Ranked in Canada for IP & IP Litigation
About:
Gurbir Sidhu helps technology companies create, protect, and monetize intellectual property as part of their broader business strategy. His practice focuses on patent and trademark portfolio development, patentability assessments, IP due diligence, and building layered protection around valuable innovation. Combining a background in computer science with legal and commercial insight, he advises software, AI, and other high-growth technology companies on developing practical, business-aligned IP strategies that support growth, investment, and competitive advantage. Gurbir is also an Adjunct Professor at Conestoga College, a supervising lawyer at York University’s IP Innovation Clinic, and a frequent speaker on IP strategy, AI, and innovation.
