IP lessons from a 20+ year in-house and consulting career: Trade secrets, patents, and mentorship
January 27, 2025 | 5 min min readIn part one of my conversation with Alex Tame, the Head of Licensing and IP Management at Oxa, we explored his approach to AI, competitive intelligence, and holistic IP. In part two, we’ll delve into the practical insights he’s gained across his career at Vodafone, in consulting, and now at the autonomous vehicle startup.
The hidden challenge of trade secrets: Building the right culture
“Trade secrets are easy to talk about but incredibly hard to manage effectively,” Alex notes, pointing to what companies often overlook. While policies and documentation matter, the real challenge lies in implementation.
What does effective trade secret protection require? Alex outlines his essential elements:
- Getting real processes in place that people will actually follow
- Teaching engineers, especially those fresh from academia where sharing is the norm, why protecting IP matters
- Keeping careful track of who knows what through a trade secrets register
- Double-checking what departing employees had access to
- Being strategic about what gets shared with partners
“Policing trade secrets requires significant internal resources,” Alex explains. “With customers and suppliers, you need to be strategic about information sharing. When they ask how something works, often they just need to know that it performs as intended. The ‘how’ might be core IP we need to protect.”
These challenges prove particularly true in the autonomous vehicle sector. “We have many brilliant academics transitioning to corporate life,” Alex notes. “Shifting their mindset around information sharing requires dedicated education and training.”
Tomorrow’s patents matter more than today’s
One of Alex’s consulting experiences illustrates why timing matters in patent strategy. Working with a German manufacturer, his team’s analysis revealed a disconnect between their well-managed patent portfolio and their stated future direction.
“We laid it out for their board,” Alex recalls. “You’ve got great coverage for what you do now. But you keep talking about AI and machine learning as your future — and there’s nothing in your portfolio about that. Even better? Your competitors don’t have it either. This is your chance to own that future before they wake up to it.”
The recommendation sparked a deeper strategic discussion: The company had a well-managed IP function, but they hadn’t applied that long-term lens to their patent strategy. “When you know your industry is moving into AI and machine learning, you need to start protecting those innovations now,” Alex explains. “It’s about looking at your competitors too. If they’ve got nothing in this space, what can you protect today that gives you leverage against them in the future?” This approach transformed how the board viewed their patent strategy, shifting focus from just protecting current assets to securing competitive advantages in emerging technologies.
Software patents aren’t dead post-Alice
When the Alice decision came ten years ago, many thought software patents were finished. Alex saw it differently. “Here we are a decade later, and yes, you can definitely still patent software — you just have to be smart about it,” he explains.
At Oxa, they’ve figured it out. “We absolutely protect our software innovations,” Alex says, “but we’re careful to connect them to the physical hardware we’re building.” He advises that the US tends to be more receptive than Europe to software patents, and he’s watching closely as machine learning and AI push patent law into new territory.
This anticipated evolution in software patents mirrors broader changes in the autonomous vehicle industry. “Currently, most companies in the space maintain a defensive, freedom-to-operate approach,” Alex explains. “As revenue models prove successful and companies begin generating substantial returns, we’ll likely see a shift, particularly around safety standards.” Drawing from his telecom experience, Alex predicts developments parallel to what happened with 3G standards. “The questions of standards essentiality that emerged with Qualcomm and Nokia may resurface around autonomous vehicle safety standards. Which companies will own the underlying technology for these standards? That will be a critical consideration.”
Growing people: Open doors and make introductions that matter
Alex’s approach to mentorship took shape at Vodafone, starting with a formative moment: when restructuring threatened a director’s secretary’s role, he saw an opportunity. “I hate the word ‘admin,'” he says, “so we made her our IP coordinator — and she was brilliant.”
As his team grew, he gave everyone a clear view of their potential paths: “You could go deep into a specific technology, train as a patent attorney, or take the strategic route like I did,” he’d tell them. “Pick your direction and I’ll help you get there.”
Then, he backed those words up with action. When cuts were coming, he gave his team early warning and worked his network to help them land elsewhere. At one conference, he introduced a junior engineer to a law firm contact, and that introduction turned into their next job. “I always try to help people make connections when I’m at events,” Alex tells me. “It’s about plugging people in, making introductions that matter.”
His approach has paid off. Years later, his former team still gets together for dinner. Over their latest meal, they reminded him how much his honest, supportive approach meant to their careers. Some went the technical specialist route, others became patent attorneys, but all benefited from having clear options and real support to pursue them. “It’s pretty simple,” Alex reflects. “Treat everyone with respect, give them your time, and actually enjoy seeing them grow.”
I came away from my conversation with Alex impressed by how he’s translated his diverse experiences into such practical wisdom, from recognizing tomorrow’s patent opportunities to understanding that true IP protection depends more on people than policies. His journey shows that success in IP leadership isn’t just about technical or legal expertise, but about building the right culture, thinking ahead, and genuinely investing in people’s growth.