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Seminar Topic and Objectives

Patent searches - assuring the competitive edge: Prof. Dr. Heinz Müller / IGE
The knowledge about the patent landscape in a specific field of research or development might be crucial for a successful research project, the commercialization of an invention or for avoiding infringement of a third-party patent. However, searching for relevant patent information in a database that contains more than 70 million patent documents can be frustrating, time consuming and lead to false negative results or incomplete searches. Thus, professional tools and the help of experienced specialists understanding the language of scientists as well as the world of patents is imperative for retrieving reliable, usable and trustworthy patent information from the vast pool of documents.
 

Freedom To Operate (FTO): Dr. André Kasche / Ritscher & Partner AG Zürich
Intellectual property rights can be a nuisance when you start an innovation-based business, but they cannot be ignored. Due to the abundant number of patents in many technical fields you may easily infringe valid intellectual property rights of others. Therefore, once your company becomes a competitor in the market or is regarded as a potential licensee, your assets are at risk.

The handling of competitive intellectual property requires a continued professional search policy for identifying potential risks and to perform a professional patent risk assessment. The quality and completeness of the search strategy, the patent data bases used, the search tools employed and the search expertise relied upon are crucial issues for any FTO. Once dozens, hundreds or thousands of patent rights have been identified they need to be screened and sorted into categories of risk relevance. For the selected relevant rights, validity, claim construction and infringement risks need to be assessed.
The goal of this lecture is to introduce you to the various aspects of FTO assessment, such FTO search strategies, cost strategies, and organizational aspects.

Target Audience

Professionals working at universities or in companies who are responsible for the management of intellectual property.

Speakers

Professor Heinz Müller studied biochemistry at the ETH in Zurich where he also obtained his Ph.D. He spent several years as a researcher at the University of California, San Diego, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, and the Nordwestern University, Chicago. Back in Switzerland, he headed his own research group at the medical faculty of the University of Basel, conducting research in the area of oncology. At this time he started regular teaching and got promoted to assistant professor (Privatdozent). He is now a professor of Medical Biochemistry at the University of Basel and teaches several courses to medical students. In 2003, he joined the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property in Bern. He is responsible for the interactions of the patent department with universities and universities of applied sciences and other similar institutions in Switzerland. Heinz Müller is also president of the foundation "Swiss Youth in Science" ("Schweizer Jugend forscht") and is very dedicated to educate young, talented people.)

Dr. André Kasche studied chemistry and mathematics at the Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, USA, as well as biochemistry, organic, and chemical engineering at the University of Hannover, Germany. His doctorate was awarded by the Max Planck Institute of Endocrinology on the synthesis of antihormones and study of their affinity in in-vitro and animal models. He has broad industrial practice including chemical research. He is both European Patent Attorney as well as German Patent Attorney with special emphasis on life sciences, the pharmaceutical industry, organic chemistry and in particular the area of biotechnology. His IP experience includes working for Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, the office of Kutzenberger & Wolff, in Cologne, and Gruenecker & Partner in Munich. In 2004 he founded his own patent law firm in Munich and joined the practice of Ritscher & Partner AG in Zurich..His areas of practice are Life Sciences, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, organic chemistry, technical chemistry, polymers, mechanics, trademarks, prosecution, opposition, nullity, litigation. Dr. Kasche is an authorized representative for IGE, DPMA, EPA, HABM.