More Than Patents: The Hidden Work Protecting Innovation at medmix
Every day, dentists around the world rely on products that need to perform consistently, safely, and reliably.
What many don't see is the extensive work happening behind the scenes to protect those innovations, safeguard customers from counterfeits, and ensure that genuine products continue to deliver the quality they expect.
For Hans-Peter Brack, Global Head of Intellectual Property at medmix, that mission goes far beyond patents and legal documents.
"In the end, intellectual property only creates value if it helps the business, our customers, and end users," he explains.
Hans-Peter Brack, Global Head of Intellectual Property at medmix
It's a perspective shaped by an unusual career journey. Before leading medmix's global IP strategy, Hans-Peter was an inventor himself, contributing to approximately 50 patent families and developing technologies ranging from bio-based plastics to product innovations. Among this, he was one of the co-inventors of the bio-sourced materials used in Nokia's environmentally conscious 3110 Evolve mobile phone in 2008 and also co-invented a specialized plastic that enabled faster production of CDs and DVDs by shortening injection molding cycles.
That inventor mindset still drives his work today.
In 2024, Hans Peter co-invented a specialized plastic that enabled faster production of CDs and DVDs by shortening injection molding cycles
From Creating Innovations to Protecting Them
Unlike many IP professionals, Hans-Peter's career started in the laboratory rather than in a legal office.
As an R&D scientist and product developer, he experienced firsthand what it takes to transform an idea into a successful product. Along the way, mentors and patent attorneys recognized what he describes as a "hidden talent" for intellectual property and encouraged him to pursue a new path.
That experience gave him a unique perspective.
"If innovation isn't protected, there is little incentive to invest in creating it. And without innovation, there is nothing meaningful to protect," he says.
Today, that philosophy sits at the core of medmix's approach to IP.
Intellectual Property as a Service to the Business
Many people think IP begins after a product has been developed.
At medmix, it starts much earlier.
Hans-Peter and his team work alongside engineers, product developers, sales teams, marketing professionals, and business leaders throughout the innovation journey. Their role is to help teams navigate existing patents, protect new ideas, strengthen brands, and create space for innovation to succeed in the market.
"In sales and marketing, we're here to help grow the business," Hans-Peter explains. "A patent or trademark only matters if it helps us protect what makes our products different and valuable."
This is what makes IP different at medmix.
Rather than operating solely as a legal function, it acts as an enabling service that supports innovation, customer trust, and business growth.
Hans-Peter and Pradnya Sane, Lead IP Manager at medmix. Together, they help teams protect innovation, support customers, and ensure that great ideas continue to create value before and long after they reach the market.
A Different Side of IP: Protecting Customers from Counterfeits
One of the most important aspects of medmix's IP work rarely appears in product brochures or trade show displays.
Counterfeit products.
Whether discovered by customers, distributors, online monitoring tools, or at global trade shows, counterfeit dental products remain a challenge across the industry.
The medmix IP team actively investigates reports, monitors online marketplaces, and works with external partners to identify and remove infringing products. In some cases, thousands of counterfeit product listings can be removed from online platforms worldwide.
But for Hans-Peter, the goal isn't simply enforcement.
"The objective isn't to hurt businesses," he explains. "The objective is to help customers sell authentic, high-quality products and protect the market."
In fact, some companies that originally sold counterfeit products later became customers and partners after transitioning to genuine medmix solutions.
That approach reflects a broader philosophy: protecting innovation while helping the industry move toward better and more reliable products.
Why This Matters to Dentists
Most dentists don't spend their day thinking about patents.
They think about their patients, treatment outcomes, and products they can trust.
Yet intellectual property plays an important role in making that trust possible.
When dentists choose products such as MIXPAC™ mixing tips, they expect consistent performance, reliable quality, and safe materials. Through trademarks, patents, and active market protection, medmix helps ensure those expectations are met and that counterfeit alternatives do not compromise quality or reliability.
In other words, IP helps protect far more than an invention.
It helps protect confidence.
Candy Colors™ is more than a trademark. It is a visual sign of authenticity that helps dentists identify genuine medmix products and trust the quality, performance, and reliability behind them.
Protecting More Than Products
Ask Hans-Peter what excites him most about his role, and the answer isn't simply securing patents.
It's seeing innovation making a difference.
It's helping teams transform ideas into protected technologies.
It's supporting customers who depend on authentic products.
And it's helping ensure that dentists around the world can continue to trust the solutions they use every day.
Behind every trusted medmix product is a team working to develop it, manufacture it, and bring it to market.
And behind many of those innovations is another team working just as hard to protect them.
Because at medmix, intellectual property is about much more than ownership.
It's about enabling innovation, protecting trust, and helping great ideas continue to create value long after they leave the drawing board.