Student profiles
Pavarthy Nair
Email: parvathy.nair_2@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parvathy-nair-89198464/
Thesis Title
Institution
Supervisors
Dr Amanda Odell-West (Intellectual Property Law)
Dr Amber Darr (Competition Law)
Research Summary
My PhD research examines the legal and policy implications of foundation AI models, particularly in the context of the European Patent Convention (EPC) and competition law. It explores how the sufficiency of disclosure criteria under the EPC is equipped to handle complex technologies like foundation AI models and how this requirement interacts with the transparency requirements under the EU Artificial Intelligence Act and the provisions of the Digital Markets Acts, in relation to training data accessibility.
The project further investigates how limited data transparency and overlapping intellectual property protection relating to training data might result in the creation of an anticommons dilemma that could impede cumulative innovation and also suggest practical alternatives to mitigate this issue by conducting case studies on open-source foundation AI models, where comprehensive data disclosure is mandated.
My research will integrate legal analysis with empirical examination of AI patent applications that have been granted between 2015 to 2027 to assess the extent of disclosure of training data, invalidation rates, and the effectiveness of open-source frameworks as an alternative in informing the shape of innovation dynamics across Europe.
Background
I hold an LL.M in Intellectual Property Law with Distinction from the University of Manchester, where I specialised in Patent Law and Policy, Copyright Law and Policy, Trademark Law and Policy, and International Commercial Arbitration. Prior to this, I earned an LL.B with First Class and a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Computer Science with Distinction from the University of Kerala.
I have over ten years of experience in the intellectual property field, including 5 years of training as a Patent Attorney. During my training, I gaining hands-on experience in drafting patent applications, conducting prior art analyses, and responding to examination and search reports and achieved part-qualification. I subsequently moved on to the role of Key Account Administrator within the same IP firm, where I currently manage European and UK patent filings and over-see post-filing procedures for key clients.
My background in both law and technology enables me to bridge the gap between complex technical innovations and their legal protection, with a particular interest in the intersection of software, technology, and IP strategy.
Research Interests
Artificial Intelligence Regulation; Intellectual Property Law; Patent Disclosure; Competition Law; Open-Source Models; Innovation Policy; European Legal Frameworks.
Publications
coming soon