The Basics of Patents: What Energy Leaders Should Know

Patents sit at the heart of innovation in today’s energy industry – from subsurface processes and control systems to carbon capture and grid technologies.  Ultimately, a patent is meant to allow the owner to stop competitors from using a protected invention.   A strong patent can result in a legal injunction preventing competitors from practicing the claimed invention for the life of the patent, while weak patents may provide little to no advantage whatsoever.

Patents are not meant to be impossible to interpret and comprehend.  Rather, they are meant to provide a public notice function allowing persons of ordinary skill in the art to read and understand what the patent covers.

While the scope of protection of a patent is not always clear cut, this webinar is meant to demystify how patents work by going through the theoretical basis of patents and the practical aspects of the parts of a patent, including their parts and how to read them.

This seminar will also discuss the dangers of improperly drafted patents and why a patent professional is needed to help draft and interpret patents as well as develop effective patent portfolios. In addition, we will cover the basics of IP litigation, how to manage litigation risk and what to do if you get a cease-and-desist letter or notice.

On the agenda:

• Different types of intellectual property rights: A quick overview of the different types of intellectual property rights and what they protect including how patent rights fit in with these other types of intellectual rights
• Patents – the theoretical part: The high-level ideas of what a patent is meant to be, what rights they grant and what is required to have a patent granted for an invention
• Patents – the practical part: The parts of a patent (specification, drawings, claims) and the purpose of each part in the patent
• How to determine the scope of protection granted by a patent: How claims work and how they are used to determine the protection granted by the patent
• IP litigation: How to manage litigation risk and what to do if you get a cease-and-desist letter or notice
• Q&A

Why this matters for energy businesses

Energy companies face freedom‑to‑operate risks creating potential operation limitations, a dense and complicated patent landscape and constant pressure to monetize innovation while controlling litigation exposure. In addition, M&A transactions where owners try to capitalize on the value of their inventions will include a detailed IP due diligence review and value will be lost if the inventions aren’t properly protected and documented. A clear view of patent scope and portfolio strength helps de‑risk deployments, accelerate commercialization and protect long‑term asset value.

Who should attend

• General counsel and in‑house legal
• CTOs, VPs of technology/engineering and R&D leaders
• Corporate/business development
• Operations and OT/ICS (operational technology/industrial control systems) leaders

Speakers

• Randy Brunet (moderator)
• Andy Chow
• Scott Davidson

Event details

• Webinar: Tuesday, April 7, 2026 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. CST
• Cost: Free and open to all registrants
• Format: Live presentation + Q&A
• Registration closes April 6, 2026
• We reserve the right to decline registrations