Patent Protection for AI-Enabled Technologies: A Comparative View from Europe, the U.S. and Israel

Asa Kling, President of the AIPPI Israeli Group, Co-Chair of AI at Naschitz Brandes Amir & Co., Israel
Asa Kling is Chair of IP and Co-Chair of AI at Naschitz Brandes Amir & Co. which he joined in 2018 after a successful tenure as Director of the Israel Patent Office and Commissioner of Patents, Trademarks and Designs (2011–2017). Asa’s practice covers all IP-related matters – litigation, prosecution and transactional work. He advises hi-tech, quantum computing, AI based, biotech, life sciences, medical device and technology companies, research institutions and universities. He also teaches IP at the Reichman University, Herzeliya and is President of the AIPPI Israel National Group.

Dr Karsten Königer, President of the AIPPI German Group, Partner, Attorney-at-Law at Harmsen Utescher, Germany
Karsten Königer is a German attorney-at-law and partner at Harmsen Utescher, a Hamburg based IP law firm founded in 1895. For more than 20 years, Karsten has been representing companies in patent infringement, nullity and opposition proceedings. After studying physics and law, Karsten completed his doctorate in patent law at the Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property in Munich. Karsten worked as an intern in a patent law firm in Japan and was a legal intern with the Honorable Pauline Newman, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Karsten is the author of numerous publications on patent law, and he is the president of the German group of AIPPI.

Dr Gunnar Baumgärtel, Partner, Maikowski & Ninnemann Patentanwälte Partnerschaft mbB, Germany
Gunnar Baumgärtel is a patent attorney specialized in German, European and international patent prosecution, opposition proceedings and patent litigation, mainly in the fields of automotive engineering, electronics, optics, software and telecommunications. He is one of the most experienced German patent attorneys for patent litigation, he has participated in hundreds of disputes before the Federal Patent Court and the civil courts, including the Federal Supreme Court, in particular also in disputes concerning standard-essential patents. In addition, he advises and represents our clients in licensing and cooperation agreements. Gunnar studied physics in Berlin (Technical University) and Paris (École Normale Supérieure). Gunnar is involved in the board of GRUR and AIPPI, heads the working group “Patent and Utility Model Law” for patent attorney candidates in Berlin and lectures on patent law at the Free University Berlin.

Roy Melzer, Advocate and Patent Attorney, Ehrlich Group, Israel
Roy is an advocate and patent attorney who heads the Computing Technologies practice at Ehrlich Group, one of Israel’s leading IP firms. His practice focuses on drafting and prosecuting patents for computer-implemented inventions — including AI and machine learning, cybersecurity, digital health and medical imaging, blockchain, and semiconductors. Over the years, Roy advised R&D centers of multinationals such as IBM, Microsoft, NEC, Huawei, Salesforce and Samsung, as well as Israeli startups, hospitals, and university tech-transfer companies, on portfolio strategy, due diligence, and freedom to operate, and integrates self-developed LegalTech tools and examiner-analytics tools into prosecution practice. He is recognized in leading international directories, including the IAM Patent 1000, the IAM Strategy 300, and The Legal 500.

Matthias Schuhmacher, Partner, Attorney-at-Law, Pearl Cohen, United States
Matthias is licensed as a German and European Patent Attorney and as an Attorney-at-Law in the United States. His practice centers on complex, cross-border patent matters at the intersection of European and U.S. law, with a particular focus on aligning prosecution strategies with downstream enforcement and freedom-to-operate considerations.
Drawing on a strong technical background, Matthias counsels clients in medical technologies, software-implemented inventions, and artificial intelligence. He advises on the drafting, prosecution, and portfolio structuring of patents before the European Patent Office (EPO), the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA), and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), with a consistent emphasis on maximizing enforceability and defending against patent infringement allegations in an international setting.
Prior to joining Pearl Cohen, Matthias was a founding partner of Tautz & Schuhmacher, where he built and led a transatlantic IP practice focused on U.S.-related patent strategy and contentious matters. He continues to advise innovative companies, universities, and research organizations on high-value IP strategy, enforcement readiness, and cross-border disputes.