FinTech and blockchain technologies are rapidly developing. With the emergence of so many new ideas and technologies comes the need for action, to protect both current and future innovations. Given the pace at which technology continues to disrupt the industry, securing IP assets—especially patents—should be a primary consideration for companies in this space. As the FinTech landscape continues to evolve into areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, quantum computing, and big data, counsel with specialized knowledge become increasingly valuable when devising IP strategies. The IP team at Covington understands the disruptive technologies and legal issues that are pertinent to the financial services industry. In this alert, the team detail some of the IP issues companies should consider in relation to blockchain technologies, discussing patents, trade secrets, and the use of open source software. The full alert is available at this link.