More than 30 years dedicated to inventions: The multifaceted world of an industrial patent attorney

The role of an industrial patent attorney is to help advance inventions. “What fascinated me about the job was that it offered me the opportunity to work autonomously and the freedom to organise my own tasks.” A degree in natural sciences or engineering, for example in chemistry or mechanical engineering, is required to become a patent attorney. This is essential to be able to professionally assess an invention. Patent attorneys also search patent databases and take care of procedures, from the filing of the invention to the granting of the patent and its enforcement.

When Paul Georg Maué started at Ciba-Geigy in the late 1980s, he was one of 20 young patent attorneys recruited by the large company. The aim was to build up its in-house IP knowledge. “This company at least was aware at the time that this profession isn’t just a pre-retirement position for ‘veteran’ researchers,” he says with a wink.

The job has changed considerably since then. “In the early days, I was mainly in contact with researchers and their managers. Today, industrial patent attorneys have larger networks and liaise with marketing, finance and senior management teams. Patent attorneys have more responsibility and are heavily involved in planning,” explains Maué. You need to have a flair for anticipating trends. Which inventions are worth protecting? Which ones do you let go? Moreover, attorneys are in regular contact with external bodies such as patent offices.

Maué has always promoted patent protection, especially in times of economic crisis. When it comes to cost-cutting measures, companies often question the value of patents: “Of course, companies can save costs in the short term by investing less in patents, but this has a very negative impact on long-term prospects. Without any patents, the company loses its exclusive market position.”

The former attorney is less optimistic about the increasing number of patent disputes in court. “They take up a lot of time. It often takes too long for companies to receive a decision, and a company frequently can’t wait that long to bring a product to market.”

In Switzerland, which has no raw materials and a small domestic market, patent protection is key. Without it, the development costs, which can be very high depending on the industry, are difficult to recoup. Maué emphasises that companies must be aware of the advantages of patents and their limits too. “A patent can’t solve everything. A beautiful invention is of no use to you if you can’t market it.” A patent is a building block, often a very important one. There has to be a demand for the innovation, or you create the demand, as Apple did with the iPhone, for example.

Patents are also a valuable source of data. “Public patent databases are a treasure trove, which companies can utilise strategically. However, it’s difficult for inexperienced users to search and analyse this data effectively. Support from specialists is therefore essential,” recommends Maué. Patent attorneys are familiar with analysing searches and can assist researchers with the data. Maué says this particularly in light of the fact that not every patent filed by another company will necessarily prevent you from bringing something similar to the market. “You don’t have to despair, because not everything is blocked by a patent application. Something more specific can still be granted patent protection anyway.”

He sees the future of the profession as a combination of technical and legal expertise. “There will always be new technologies that you have to familiarise yourself with. Patent work relies on technology – and it should stay that way. You can only help if you can understand the invention.”

He adds that, of course, new technologies such as AI need to be considered too. “Technology won’t make patent attorneys superfluous,” says Maué. However, he adds that AI could be very helpful, as it already is today for summarising texts or providing linguistic alternatives. He believes that, in the future, the key skill for patent attorneys will be the ability to notice the details in inventions without losing the big picture.

Paul Georg Maué has planned out the next chapter of his life well. First of all, he still has a few months of association work on the agenda, including handing over the presidency. After that, he plans on devoting himself to the things he hasn’t had time for. “For instance, I want to start up my photo lab again, which has remained unused for a long time,” he says. He’s also looking forward to exploring his family history. His grandfather was a businessman and left behind an extensive archive. “And I’ve managed to read books again since retiring.”

There’s one more thing we’d like to know. Surely someone who’s been so deeply immersed in the world of patents has come across some curious inventions? “I came across a few in the patent databases. One that stands out is baby clothes that clean the floor while the baby crawls around. Ribbons are attached to the clothes so that the child collects dirt as it crawls across the floor. “That might well be novel and entertaining, but it’s unlikely to have any commercial impact.”