Roland Grossenbacher
Encyclopedia
Dr. Roland Edouard Grossenbacher is a Swiss
attorney at law
, who served as chairman of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation
from March 5, 2000 to March 4, 2009. He was appointed at this post for a first three-year term on 5 March 2000. He was then reelected in 2002 for a second term, beginning on 5 March 2003. In December 2005, he was again re-elected as Chairman of the Council from a third term from 5 March 2006 to 4 March 2009. After he stepped down in March 2009, he was made "Honorary Chairman" of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation.
He is the current Director of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property
, which he joined in 1976. His first contact with patent
s was when he was involved "in a lawsuit
while working as an attorney at law for a very small law firm
." He originally came "from the copyright
area" and wrote his PhD on copyright. He studied at the Zurich University from 1969 to 1974.
He was candidate for the position of President of the European Patent Office
, which was to be filled on 1 July 2010, but has not been elected to the position.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
attorney at law
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, who served as chairman of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation
Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation
The Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation is one of the two organs of the European Patent Organisation , the other being the European Patent Office . The Administrative Council acts as the Organisation's supervisory body as well as, to a limited extent, its legislative body...
from March 5, 2000 to March 4, 2009. He was appointed at this post for a first three-year term on 5 March 2000. He was then reelected in 2002 for a second term, beginning on 5 March 2003. In December 2005, he was again re-elected as Chairman of the Council from a third term from 5 March 2006 to 4 March 2009. After he stepped down in March 2009, he was made "Honorary Chairman" of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation.
He is the current Director of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property
Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property
The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property is the federal agency in charge of intellectual property matters in Switzerland. Its seat is in Bern...
, which he joined in 1976. His first contact with patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s was when he was involved "in a lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
while working as an attorney at law for a very small law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
." He originally came "from the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
area" and wrote his PhD on copyright. He studied at the Zurich University from 1969 to 1974.
He was candidate for the position of President of the European Patent Office
European Patent Office
The European Patent Office is one of the two organs of the European Patent Organisation , the other being the Administrative Council. The EPO acts as executive body for the Organisation while the Administrative Council acts as its supervisory body as well as, to a limited extent, its legislative...
, which was to be filled on 1 July 2010, but has not been elected to the position.
Publications
- Die Entwicklung des Welturheberrechtsabkommens im Hinblick auf den Beitritt der Sowjetunion, Diss. Zürich 1977
- Das Uebersetzungsrecht des Welturheberrechtsabkommens und Schutzausnahmen im sowjetischen Urheberrecht: konventionsrechtliche Grenzen innerstaatlicher Einschränkungen des Uebersetzungsrecht, Film und Recht, 1977, Vol 21 No 12, p 816-821
Further reading
- Biography on the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property web site
- Questions by epi to the candidates for the position as President of the EPO, Mr. Roland Grossenbacher by the European Patent Institute (epi), October 2009.