Patent Law in the Natural Sciences

Description

Intellectual Property (IP) such as patents, trademarks or trade secrets remain critical for the sustainable success of every innovative business. Own IP is an asset that helps keep competition at a distance, but likewise companies must also avoid competitors' IP. Scientists in both academia and industry need to understand key IP concepts to make full use of their ideas and avoid costly mistakes. Dr. Tilman Breitenstein has been responsible for high-value IP at Bayer, DSM and BASF. He today counsels Start-ups with his own company Scalable IP, and will provide a practical and theoretical overview that many previous participants found useful both for their university studies and later career. Many real-world cases and examples illustrate the concepts.

The seminar is provided to master students, doctoral students, scientific staff, postdocs, and university lecturers (total duration 19 teaching units, five dates, 20 participants). The course will be held in English, and special vocabulary will also be explained in German. It will conclude with a final test.

Central issues

• Intellectual Property (IP) and its impact
• Patents, Trademarks and Trade secrets
• Innovation and how to protect it
• German, European and international proceedings
• What is meant with "Freedom-to-operate"?
• How to read, write and destroy a patent?
• German Employee Invention Act
• Contracts relating to Intellectual Property
• A patent attorney's job
• Cooperation: research - development - patent division

Course description, lecturers, dates and venue

• Workshop description and schedule 2026