Transforming AI and emerging technologies into clear and defensible patents
Benjamin’s practice focuses on patent drafting and prosecution, with an emphasis on AI and machine learning, blockchain, crypto and non‑fungible tokens (NFTs), the metaverse and extended reality (XR/AR/VR/MR), quantum computing, telecommunications, signal processing, biomedical, computer and electrical.
Benjamin is The Patent Storyteller™. Benjamin helps AI companies translate complex technologies into clear and compelling patent strategies. He assists clients in articulating the story of the invention for stakeholders and the patent offices, in particular for growth-stage funded technology companies.
Benjamin graduated from the biomedical‑electrical engineering stream of the Engineering Science program at the University of Toronto. He has previously worked as a research engineer at a Toronto‑area hospital, where he has contributed to the development of medical imaging devices.
Benjamin has been recognized under the Lexpert®: Leading Lawyers Under 40 Award and the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory: Leading Lawyer (Intellectual Property).
Qualifications
- Speaking
- Industry Involvement
- In the Media
- "New AI guidelines from CIPO and other jurisdictions", SR&ED Stakeholders Webcast, November 27, 2025
- “Unlocking Value: Intellectual Property Commercialization & Strategy for Tech Businesses”, ElevateFest 2025, October 9, 2025
- "Local Leaders in ML", cohost, breakfast networking event, April 3, 2025
- "AI and Inventorship" SR&ED Stakeholder webcast, November 21, 2024
- AI Intellectual Property (IP) Workshop, (co-speaker: Christine Wong), Vector Institute, October 24, 2023
Memberships
- Intellectual Property Institute of Canada — IPIC (Affiliate)
- Mentor, Techstars Toronto Accelerator (Toronto)
- Mentor, Founders Institute (Vancouver)
- Mentor, Global Startups (Toronto) (formerly Latam Startups)
- Mentor, JIIPCC (Nigeria)
Publications
- "New Patent Incentives - Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit claims", webcast, SR&ED Stakeholder, November 30, 2023
- “Business Methods” patentable: Amazon.com update” by Benjamin Mak, Matthew Norwood, Robert Wilkes and Paul Lomic Legal Alert, February 2012
- Benjamin E. Mak and Paul V. Lomic, “Business Methods can be patented”, Legal Alert (a Carswell Publication), December 2010, Volume 29, No. 9.
- Beware of Traps in the New Canadian Patent Rules, September 9, 2019
- Building the Global Patent Portfolio You Need and Can Afford, September 18, 2023
- Securing the Internet of Things with Blockchain, March 2023