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What you think is the summit is only a step up.
Lucius Aenneus Seneca, called Seneca the Younger

Dr. Dorothea Hofer

Dr. rer. nat., Dipl.-Phys. (Univ.),
Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney,
European Trademark & Design Attorney
Registered Representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Registered Representative before the Austrian Patent Office

+49 89 69 39 21-0hofer@pruefer.eu

Professional career

BIOGRAPHY:
Dr. Dorothea Hofer has been with Prüfer & Partner since 1993 and has been a managing partner since 1998. She gained her Ph.D. in physics at the LMU Munich.
After studying physics at LMU Munich, she also worked for Siemens in the area of semiconductor physics.

LANGUAGES:
German, English, French

Specialist areas of activity:

ACTIVITIES:

  • conducting litigation proceedings:
    • patent and utility model infringement proceedings (before the District Courts of Munich, Düsseldorf, Mannheim and Hamburg and before the competent Higher District Courts)
    • opposition proceedings before the EPO and the GPTO, nullity proceedings before the Federal Patent Court and the Federal Court of Justice
  • cooperating with foreign associates in patent infringement proceedings in foreign countries such as Italy, France, Japan and the US
  • elaboration of patent applications, also with regard to the requirements of the USPTO
  • prosecution of patent application
  • advice on employee invention issues
  • elaboration of licence agreements
  • consultancy with regard to research and cooperation agreements
  • advice on trademarks and designs

SPECIAL FIELDS:

  • physics
  • medical technology
  • 2D and 3D print
  • semiconductors

Publications and memberships

Publications

D. Hofer et al., “Direct and multiple excitations in 96Zr from inelastic scattering experiments”, Nucl. Phys. A 551 (1993), 173-209

Hofer, D., Stocker, W., “A Dirac particle in a scalar potential depending on one spatial coordinate”, (1989), Phys. Lett. A, 138, 463-464

Memberships

epi – European Patent Institute
AIPPI – International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property
Chamber of Patent Attorneys
VPP – Association of Intellectual Property Experts
GRUR – German Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property and Copyright

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Ideas thrive better under professional protection.

Dr. Andreas Oser

Dr. rer. nat., Dipl.-Chem., Master of Laws
German Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney,
European Trademark and Design Attorney
Registered Representative before the Unified Patent Court

+49 89 69 39 21-0oser@pruefer.eu

Professional career

BIOGRAPHY:
Andreas Oser has been working in the IP field since 1991, became a German and European patent attorney in 1995 and has been managing partner at Prüfer & Partner since 2002.
In addition he holds an LL.M. degree in International Intellectual Property Laws (University of Hagen).
Prior to working in the IP field, he studied chemistry at the University of Freiburg i. Brsg., and then completed his Ph.D. and postdoctorate scientific work at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Munich.

LANGUAGES:
German, English, French

Specialist areas of activity

ACTIVITIES:

  • Patent prosecution (drafting, examination)
  • High number of opposition and appeal proceedings at the European Patent Office
  • Patent litigation:
    • Patent infringement proceedings before German courts
    • nullity proceedings up to the highest instance, the Federal Supreme Court; also covering coordinated and complex EU-wide litigation activities
  • Infringement and validity opinions, freedom-to-operate (FTO) analyses, due diligence

Andreas Oser was and is currently involved in many litigation cases, among others related to medical devices and important drug products.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

chemistry, pharmaceuticals, life science and biotechnology, in particular:

  • medicaments and drugs (active substances, formulations), biopharmaceuticals
  • biological materials, DNA-related inventions and vaccines
  • therapeutic and diagnostic methods
  • medical products and devices and targeted drug delivery
  • polymers, fibre materials, composites
  • semiconductors, LEDs, OLEDs and other optical materials and optoelectronic devices,
  • batteries and their components

Publications and memberships:

Publications

Oser A. and Sonnenhauser S., JUVE Handbuch Wirtschaftskanzleien 2022/2023, 773-774: “Plausibilität – ein ungelöstes Problem bei der Patenterteilung”

Schmidt T. and Oser A., GRUR Int 2019, 737: “New medical uses of known medical devices – A new perspective on purpose-limited product protection for medical devices in Europe”

Oser A. in GRUR Int 1998, 648 (=IIC 30, 1-18, 1999): “Patenting (Partial-)Gene Sequences”

Oser A., PATENTS & LICENSING 1998, 30: “EU Directive on Legal Protection of Biotech Inventions”

Oser A. and Bavec S., AIPPI Japan 2004 (Vol. 49 No. 7), 503: “Biotech Inventions in Europe”

Oser A. in GRUR Int 2006, 539 (=IIC 37, 520-550, 2006): “European Patent Litigation Agreement – Admissibility and Future of a Patent Dispute Regulation in Europe”

Thieme R„ Lay H., Oser A., Lehmann J., Wrissenberg S. and Boos W., Eur, J.Biochem. 160, 83-91 (1986)

Oser A., Roth W.K. and Valet G., Nucl. Acids Res. 16, 1181-1196 (1988)

Oser A. and Valet G., Nucl. Acids Res. 16, 8178 (1988)

Rothe G., Oser A. and Valet G., Naturwissenschaften 75, 354-355 (1988)

Oser A., Collasius M. and Valet G., Anal.Biochem. 191(2), 295-301 (1990)

Oser A. and Valet G., Angewandte Chemie International Edition 29(10), 1167-1169 (1990)

Rothe G., Banati R., Oser A., Assfalg-Machleidt I., Mangel W.F., Machleidt W., Kreutzberg G.W. and Valet G., Journal Immunol. Methods. 138(1), 133-135 (1991)

Oser A. and Valet G. (1988), Patent Applications WO8907606A, DE3804243A

Memberships

Chamber of Patent Attorneys
epi – European Patent Institute
Member of the Biotech Committee of the epi
AIPPI – International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property
FICPI – International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys
LES – Licensing Executives Society
GDCh – Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker

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My factors for success? Technology and law in a humane manner!

Dr. Christian Gärtner

Dr.-Ing., Dipl.-Ing. (Process Engineering)
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering (Univ. of Wisconsin)
Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney,
European Trademark & Design Attorney
Registered Representative before the Unified Patent Court
Registered Representative before the Austrian Patent Office

+49 89 69 39 21-0gaertner@pruefer.eu

Professional career

BIOGRAPHY:
Dr. Christian Gärtner has been working as a patent professional at Prüfer & Partner since December 2013, and he has been German Patent Attorney and European Patent Attorney since 2017.
Previously, he was a research associate at Chair 2 for Technical Chemistry at the Technical University of Munich and was responsible for a co-operation project for the dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons with Solvay SA in Brussels.
Prior to that, Dr. Christian Gärtner worked with Prof. James A. Dumesic as a research associate at the Heterogeneous Catalysis Group at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, USA, and worked on the conversion of biomass to fuels. He graduated his studies in Chemical Engineering as Master of Science.
Dr. Christian Gärtner has gained practical experience in the industry through internships at BASF SE (technical development, acid gas scrubbing) and at Robert Bosch GmbH, department of polymer technology technology in Waiblingen.
Dr. Christian Gärtner graduated with distinction in process engineering at the University of Stuttgart.

LANGUAGES:
German, English, Spanish

Specialist areas of activity

ACTIVITIES:

  • Patent drafting and patent prosecution before the German Patent Office (DPMA) and the EPO
  • Opposition and appeal proceedings
  • Expert opinions
  • Participation in patent litigation

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

  • heterogeneous catalysis
  • process engineering
  • chemical processes
  • materials
  • reaction technology
  • thermodynamics
  • food technology
  • medical technology
  • formulations
  • sports equipment

Publications and memberships

Publications

C.A. Gärtner, A.C. van Veen, J.A. Lercher: “Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane on dynamically rearranging supported chloride catalysts”, Journal of the American Chemical Society 136 (36), 12691-12701

C.A. Gärtner, A.C. van Veen, J.A. Lercher: “Highly Selective Supported Alkali Chloride Catalysts for the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane”, Topics in Catalysis 57 (14-16), 1236-1247

C.A. Gärtner, A.C. van Veen, J.A. Lercher: “Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane: Common Principles and Mechanistic Aspects”, ChemCatChem 5 (11), 3177–3403

C.A. Gärtner, J.C. Serrano-Ruiz, D.J. Braden, J.A. Dumesic: “Ketonization Reactions of Carboxylic Acids and Esters over Ceria – Zirconia as Biomass-Upgrading Processes”, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 49 (13), 6027-6033

C.A. Gärtner, J.C. Serrano-Ruiz, D.J. Braden, J.A. Dumesic: “Catalytic Upgrading of Bio-Oils by Ketonization”, ChemSusChem 2 (12), 1121-1124

C.A. Gärtner, J.C. Serrano-Ruiz, D.J. Braden, J.A. Dumesic: “Catalytic coupling of carboxylic acids by ketonization as a processing step in biomass conversion”, Journal of Catalysis 266 (1), 71-78

E.L. Kunkes, D.A. Simonetti, R.M. West, J.C. Serrano-Ruiz, C.A. Gärtner, J.A. Dumesic: “Catalytic conversion of biomass to monofunctional hydrocarbons and targeted liquid-fuel classes”, Science 322 (5900), 417-421

R.M. West, Z.Y. Liu, M. Peter, C.A. Gärtner, J.A. Dumesic: “Carbon–carbon bond formation for biomass-derived furfurals and ketones by aldol condensation in a biphasic system”, Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical 296 (1), 18-27

Memberships

epi – European Patent Institute
Chamber of Patent Attorneys
FICPI – International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys
VDI – Association of German Engineers
DECHEMA – Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

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All success comes from trust

Dr. Susanne Sonnenhauser

Dr. rer. nat., Dipl.-Biol., German Patent Attorney,
European Patent Attorney, European Trademark & Design Attorney
Registered Representative before the Unified Patent Court
Registered Representative before the Austrian Patent Office

+49 89 69 39 21-0sonnenhauser@pruefer.eu

Professional career

BIOGRAPHY:
Ms Sonnenhauser has been working in the field of intellectual property since 2005, and is admitted as a German Patent Attorney and European Patent Attorney. She has been with Prüfer & Partner since 2008.

Susanne Sonnenhauser has studied biology at the Technical University of Munich with a focus on genetics, microbiology and immunology and has graduated in 2001 with a diploma thesis in the field of analysis of signal transduction in cells. Subsequently, she completed her doctoral thesis in the field of regulation of the immune response.

LANGUAGES:
German, English, French

Specialist areas of activity

ACTIVITIES:

  • Patent prosecution (patent drafting; examination proceedings)
  • opposition and appeal proceedings
  • Infringement and validity opinions, freedom-to-operate (FTO)-analyses, due diligence
  • consultancy with regard to trademarks (trade mark application, developing of a trade mark strategy, developing of a trade mark portfolio)

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Pharma, life science and biotechnology, in particular:

  • medicaments (active substances, formulations), biopharmaceuticals
  • virology and genetic engineering
  • biological materials, DNA-related inventions and vaccines
  • therapeutic and diagnostic methods
  • medical products and devices, targeted drug delivery
  • medical technology (such as balloon catheters)

Publications and memberships

Publications

Oser A. und Sonnenhauser S., JUVE Handbuch Wirtschaftskanzleien 2022/2023, 773-774: “Plausibilität – ein ungelöstes Problem bei der Patenterteilung”

Memberships

Chamber of Patent Attorneys
epi – European Patent Institute
FICPI – International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys

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If you put your mind to it, you can do it; If you do not, you cannot – that is true for all things. When something cannot be done, you are the one to blame for not putting your heart into it.
Uesugi Yozan (1751-1822)

Dr. Christian Einsel

Dr. rer. nat., Dipl.-Phys.,
Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney
Registered Representative before the Unified Patent Court

+49 89 69 39 21-0einsel@pruefer.eu

Professional career

BIOGRAPHY:
Dr. Christian Einsel has been working at Prüfer & Partner since 2006.
He trained as a patent attorney in Munich, is a European Patent Attorney and has already worked as a development engineer for production control systems at Siemens AG (Semiconductor Group), and Infineon Technologies AG.
After his doctorate at the Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel, he was employed as a research assistant at ARI (Center for Astronomy, University of Heidelberg).
He studied geophysics/physics at the Georg-August University Göttingen.

LANGUAGES:
German, English, Japanese (basic knowledge)

Specialist areas of activity

ACTIVITIES:

  • Patent applications: Drafting and prosecuting up to grant including appeal proceedings
  • Advice on licensing agreements
  • Participation in patent litigation (infringement, nullity and opposition proceedings), including: Brother ./. Pelikan

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

  • physics, in particular semiconductor crystals including photolithographic structuring and LEDs
  • construction physics, energy technology
  • optics (visual aids)
  • computers and peripherals, including printers (inkjet, laser, label printers)
  • automation (process control), process engineering and apparatus engineering, weighing technology
  • automotive engineering
  • metrology and network technology (including interfaces, connectors, cables)
  • generative layer construction methods including laser sintering and stereolithography
  • medical technology (including+B4 implants and surgical instruments)
  • EDP and software

Publications and memberships

Publications and memberships

Einsel et al., “Chemically consistent evolution of galaxies: broad band colours and Mg2”, Astronomy & Astrophysics 296 (1995), p. 347

Einsel et al., “Dynamical evolution of rotating stellar systems – I. Pre-collapse, equal-mass system”, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astron. Society 302 (1999), p. 81

Kim et al., “Dynamical evolution of rotating stellar systems – II. Post-collapse, equal-mass system”, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astron. Society 334 (2002), p.310

Memberships

Chamber of Patent Attorneys
epi – European Patent Institute
GRUR – German Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property and Copyright
DJJV – German-Japanese Association of Jurists
Examination Commission of Patent Attorneys (2009-2015)
Board of Trustees of the Aid Foundation of the Chamber of Patent Attorneys

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Each case is different, each idea is worth being treated individually

Dr. Peter Klein

Dr. rer. nat., Dipl.-Phys.
German Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney,
European Trademark & Design Attorney
Registered Representative before the Unified Patent Court

+49 89 69 39 21-0klein@pruefer.eu

Professional career

BIOGRAPHY:
Dr. Peter Klein has been working as a patent attorney at Prüfer & Partner since 2004. He joined Prüfer & Partner as trainee in 2004.
Prior to this, he worked as a project coordinator at the University of Dortmund for the microsensor technology alliance NRW.
He received his Ph.D. in physics from LMU Munich. Dr. Peter Klein worked as research assistant at the semiconductor laboratory of the Max Planck Institutes for Physics and Extraterrestrial Physics. Previously, he worked as a system programmer at Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG.
He studied physics and computer science at LMU Munich.

LANGUAGES:
German (mother tongue), English, French

Specialist areas of activity

ACTIVITIES:

  • Many years of experience in advising clients on the protection of technical innovations
  • Patent drafting
  • Patent prosecution, opposition and appeal proceedings before the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA), the German Federal Patent Court (BPatG), and the EPO
  • Expert opinions on validity and infringement

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

  • semiconductor devices (design, simulation, manufacturing technology, etc.)
  • additive manufacturing
  • medical technology (especially ophthalmic devices and orthopaedic technology)
  • sensor technology
  • computer-implemented inventions

Publications and memberships

Publications

“Design and Performance of Semiconductor Detectors with Integrated Amplification and Charge Storage Capability”, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A305 (1991) 517…

“Study of a DEPJFET pixel matrix with continuous clear mechanism”, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A392 (1997) 254…

“First Measurements on a DEPFET Active Pixel Matrix for X-Ray Imaging Spectroscopy”, Proc. SPIE Vol. 4013 (2000), p. 605-611

i.a.

Memberships

Chamber of Patent Attorneys
epi – European Patent Institute
FICPI – International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys
VPP – Association of Intellectual Property Experts
AIPPI – International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property

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Man, life’s going to keep pushing you around, but you have to keep playing.
in "A simple life" from Min Jin Lee

Dr. Ok Joo Lee

B.S., M.S. und Dr. rer.nat.
(Pohang University of Science and Technology, POSTECH, Korea)
Korean Patent Attorney

+49 89 69 39 21-0lee@pruefer.eu

Professional career

BIOGRAPHY:
2006-2017 Patent Examiner at the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO)
2018-2019 Litigation performer at KIPO
2015 Admission as a Korean Patent Attorney
Dr. Ok Joo Lee has been working as a patent professional at Prüfer & Partner since February 2022. She mainly handles patent prosecution before the European Patent Office.
She worked as a patent examiner and as a litigation performer at KIPO. Prior to her work at KIPO, she held the following scientific and technical positions: she was employed at LG Chem (now LG Energy Solution, Korea) in the lithium secondary battery department; as a researcher in the field of block copolymers at the Max-Planck-Institute for polymer research (Germany); researcher in the field of organic thin film transistors at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (Korea).
She studied chemical engineering at POSTECH (Korea) and completed her Ph.D. degree there in an electronic material processing program.

LANGUAGES:
Korean (mother tongue), English, Japanese, German (basic knowledge)

Specialst areas of activity

ACTIVITIES:

  • Dr. Ok Joo Lee mainly handles patent prosecution before the European Patent Office.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

  • Secondary batteries
  • Polymer film
  • Photoresist
  • Inorganic materials/particles and their processing
  • Nanomaterials
  • Electroplating
  • Metal alloy
  • Organic thin film transistor
  • Bioprocessing technology

Publications and memberships

Publications

OJ Lee et al., Macromo. Res., 24(10), 2016, pp. 851-855

DH Kim, OJ Lee et al., J. Nanosci. Nanotech., 6(12) 2006, pp. 3871-3876(6)

PS Lee, OJ Lee, Chem. Mat., 2005 17, pp. 6181-6185

OJ Lee et al., Syn. Met., 2005 148(3) pp.263-266

OJ Lee et al., Appl. P. Letters, 82, 2003, pp. 3770-3772

OJ Lee et al., MRS, 2003 pp. 41-46

OJ Lee et al., Appl. Physics A, 2003 75, pp. 599-602

OJ Lee et al., J. Noncrystalline Solids, 2002 298(2-3) pp. 287-292 SH Jeong,

OJ Lee et al., Chem. Mat., 2002 14(4) pp. 1859-1862

Memberships

No memberships

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Never stop asking.
Albert Einstein

Alexander Lehmann

Dipl.-Phys. (Univ.), Master of Laws
Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney,
European Trademark & Design Attorney
Registered Representative before the Unified Patent Court

+49 89 69 39 21-0lehmann@pruefer.eu

Professional career

BIOGRAPHY:
Alexander Lehmann has been working in intellectual property law since 1991, as a patent attorney since 1995 and as a partner at Prüfer & Partner since 2008. Before training to be a patent attorney, he gained practical experience in the automobile industry. He studied physics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and gained his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in European intellectual property law at the University of Hagen.

LANGUAGES:
German (mother tongue), English (business fluent), French (basic knowledge)

Specialist areas of activity

ACTIVITIES:

  • Filing and examination processes for patents, trademarks, designs (registered designs)
  • litigation procedures in patent, trademark and design matters (appeal, opposition, cancellation, nullity, invalidity and infringement proceedings)
  • representation of clients before the German Patent and Trademark Office, the European Patent Office, the Federal Patent Court, the Federal Supreme Court (in nullity proceedings), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
  • Cooperation in IP litigation proceedings before the German civil courts
  • expert opinions
  • (licence) contracts and agreement

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

  • mechanical engineering and mechanics of all kinds
  • automotive technology
  • electrical engineering, electro-mechanics
  • physics (including optics and semiconductor technology)
  • power engineering and energy technology

Publications and memberships

Publications and memberships

No publications

Memberships

Chamber of German Patent Attorneys
Federal Association of German Patent Attorneys
VPP – Association of Intellectual Property Experts
epi – European Patent Institute
FICPI – International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys
INTA – International Trademark Association

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Building bridges – between technology, law, people and cultures.

Naoko Ritter

Dipl.-Phys., Bachelor of Science
Patent Professional

+49 89 69 39 21-0ritter@pruefer.eu

Professional career

BIOGRAPHY:
Naoko Ritter has been working for Prüfer & Partner since 2011.
Before that, she worked as a patent engineer at a patent attorney’s office in Tokyo.
After studying physics at the University of Hamburg, she also worked as a research associate at the Institute of Laser Physics in Hamburg. Before working as a development engineer at the Research Centre for Semiconductor Technology at Toshiba Co. in Japan, she studied physics at the University of Sophia in Tokyo.

LANGUAGES:
Japanese (mother tongue), German, English

Specialist areas of activity

ACTIVITIES:

  • patent issue proceedings before the EPO and DPMA
  • participating in opposition proceedings and infringement proceedings

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

  • Patent prosecution in the fields of:
    • semiconductor technology (components, manufacturing processes, manufacturing machines)
    • electronic components
    • optics, laser technology
    • medical technology
    • mechanics/mechanical engineering (automotive engineering, industrial equipment)
    • computer-related inventions

Publications and memberships

Publications

“Hot Electron Injection Characteristics in Asymmetrically Structured Submicron MOSFETs“, Jap. J. of Appl. Phys. Let., Vol.28, No.1, p.21, 1989

“A Surrounding Gate Transistor (SGT) Cell for 64/256 Mbit DRAMs“, IEEE Proceedings of the IEDM (International Electron Devices Meeting), p.23, 1989

Memberships

No memberships

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Bringing patents to grant is more enthralling than any detective story.

Bernhard Scheuvens

Dipl.-Ing. Electrical Engineering
European Patent Attorney

+49 89 69 39 21-0scheuvens@pruefer.eu

Professional career

BIOGRAPHY:
Bernhard Scheuvens has been working at Prüfer & Partner in intellectual property rights protection since 2002 and has been a European Patent Attorney since 2006.
Prior to that, he pursued a teaching career and was also involved in electronics development and documentation.
He studied electrical engineering at RWTH Aachen University.

LANGUAGES:
German, English, French, Italian, Spanish

Specialist areas of activity

ACTIVITIES:

  • Preparation of new applications and notices of opposition
  • Responding to office actions and oppositions
  • Oral proceedings
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

Patent granting, opposition and appeal proceedings in the fields of:

  • electrical engineering (in particular semiconductor technology and semiconductor circuits)
  • high frequency technology (circuits and components)
  • sensors and measurement technology
  • optoelectronics
  • medical technology
  • additive manufacturing processes
  • computer-related inventions

Publications and memberships

Publications and memberships

No publications

Memberships

epi – European Patent Institute