Learning about patent law

Last week, our students visited the IP law firm Grünecker. 

Securing a patent requires more than just a clever idea - it demands compelling arguments. Finding and presenting these arguments is one of the key tasks of a patent attorney. On Thursday, the students of the IMPRS-APS had the opportunity to learn about this world of patent law, as they visited one of the largest IP law firms in Europe, Grünecker, alongside doctoral candidates from the IMPRS-QST and the IMPRS on Astrophysics. 

Patent attorney Moritz Höffe introduced the researchers to the company and the topic of intellectual property, including an insight into the European patent application process. His colleague Daniel Kubas then shared an actual example of a patent and its most important aspects.

In addition to learning about the patent process, our students also gained a deeper understanding of the job of a patent professional – from an overview of the activities to the qualifications and necessary skills such as an interest in technology, affinity to legal questions and the ability to find and present convincing arguments. 

As always at our events, the exchange between the students and the Grünecker employees during an informal coffee break and a Q&A session at the end was a highlight of the visit. The researchers were very interested and asked a wide range of questions, from the basics of patent law to the use of AI in this field and how to achieve a successful patent application.

We would like to thank Grünecker, and especially Moritz Höffe, Daniel Kubas, Christian Hackenberger and Mario Löffler for their hospitality!

Pictures: Nina Beier