Partner
European Patent Attorney
German Patent Attorney
European Trade Mark Attorney
European Design Attorney
Dipl.-Ing. (univ)
M.B.A. (Brunel University)
Olaf has worked in intellectual property since 1992. He has extensive experience in drafting, prosecuting and defending German, European and international patent applications in all fields of electrical engineering and physics.
His professional expertise also covers opinion work (IP due diligence, freedom to operate (FTO), standard essentiality and infringement opinions, monetary valuation of patents, trade marks and domains), the conduct and procedure of EPO and German opposition and appeal proceedings - particularly oral proceedings. As a member of a working group for patent evaluation at the German standardization institute (DIN), which set up a German standard (DIN77100) for monetary patent valuation, Olaf is an expert in patent evaluation and portfolio management.
He was recently engaged as a member of a joint defense group in an extensive litigation suit against a big international telecom company and has experience of litigation in Germany. Further, he has experience in assisting clients to obtain worldwide patent protection, specifically in the US, China and Japan.
The technical areas covered by Olaf include electrical and mechanical engineering, with relevant experience in:
Olaf is a member of the patent and utility model working group of the German Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property and Copyrights (GRUR), which consults the German government in new legislation projects. Furthermore, he is member of the European Patent Litigators Association (EPLIT) which is an association of patent attorneys allowed to practice before the upcoming Unified Patent Court of the EU.
He runs regular seminars on freedom to operate for a renowned organization of training programs (Management Circle). Moreover, he acts as a speaker in various global conferences worldwide.
NewsResourcesCase StudiesEvents
Tue 19th Nov 2024
Olaf Ungerer to speak at EPI seminarPatent Attorney Olaf Ungerer will be speaking about Freedom to Operate analysis at a seminar led by the Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office (EPI) in Munich on 28 November.
Sat 3rd Jun 2023
Update from annual EPLIT meeting in ParisAn opportunity for judges, attorneys and a member of the administrative committee to discuss important issues shortly before the start of the new Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Mon 20th Mar 2023
Five questions to be answered before a Freedom-to-Operate searchOnce you have decided to go ahead with an FTO search to establish that you will have freedom to operate in your chosen markets, how do you ensure that your IP resources are focused most effectively?
Mon 13th Mar 2023
Why founders, developers and investors benefit from a freedom-to-operate reviewA freedom to operate (FTO) analysis should be an essential part of the intellectual property (IP) management and compliance process for new product development in every manufacturing or merchandising company.
Fri 9th Dec 2022
Olaf Ungerer shares expertise on UP/UPC at IIPLA 2023 DubaiEuropean patent attorney Olaf Ungerer will be speaking at the International Intellectual Property Law Association’s (IIPLA) Conference in Dubai.
Fri 7th Oct 2022
Olaf Ungerer to deliver insights on the UPC/UP at the WIPF conference in Thailand on 12 OctoberEuropean patent attorney Olaf Ungerer will be speaking at the World Intellectual Property Form in Bangkok, Thailand on how applicants and owners of EP patents need to strategically prepare for the upcoming Unified Patent Court (UPC) and Unitary Patent (UP) package in Europe.
Tue 30th Aug 2022
Temporary delay option to allow double protection for close-to-grant patents in GermanyUpon the grant of a European patent, a parallel national German patent will normally lose its effect within the overlapping scope of both patents.
Wed 3rd Aug 2022
Proper claim interpretation trumps prior use claim in defence of a German patent oppositionOur patent attorneys in Munich were recently successful in defending the patent of a client for machinery used in the food production industry after it was challenged on the basis of prior use, and despite the German Patent and Trademark Office (GPTO) accepting the flimsiest of evidence for the prior use.
Wed 9th Feb 2022
Preparing for the UPC: Olaf Ungerer presents to IIPLA Congress and World Litigation Forum in DubaiIn January, Olaf Ungerer travelled to Dubai to attend and speak at the World Litigation Forum (WLF) and the Intellectual Property Congress, hosted by the International Intellectual Property Law Association (IIPLA).
Thu 16th Dec 2021
4 key steps to prepare for arrival of the Unified Patent Court and the Unitary Patent in 2022/3Top of the IP strategy agenda for any patent owners in 2022 should be the Unified Patent Court (UPC) and the unitary patent (UP), according to Olaf Ungerer, a German and European Patent Attorney in Munich.
Thu 4th Nov 2021
Germany extends period for PCT applications to enter the national phase, from May 2022There has been an extension to the period for PCT applications to enter the national phase in Germany, to 31 months which will come into force from 1 May 2022.
Mon 1st Nov 2021
Best practice in standards-based patent poolsIf set up and administered well, patent pools can provide significant benefits for the market, such as reductions in transaction costs, more reasonable aggregate royal-ties, and a better ability to create a level playing field. These benefits can make pa-tent pools an attractive option for standard-based licensing where there are multiple licensors holding SEPs.
Fri 10th Sep 2021
Are patent pools anti-competitive?One of the greatest concerns regarding the use of patent pools, especially by technology giants, is that collaboration can also lead to anti-competitive practices. So, while patent pools have many benefits, especially for emerging technologies, the risks cannot be ignored.
Tue 31st Aug 2021
Will changes to injunctive relief rules reduce Germany’s advantage as a favourable jurisdiction for patent proprietors?The Second Patent Law Modernisation Act (Patentrechtsmodernisierungsgesetz) aims to simplify and modernise the Patent Act (Patentgesetz) and other IP laws in Germany and it came into force on 18 August 2021.
Tue 17th Aug 2021
Patent pools and the evolution of FRAND licensing in IoT ecosystemsIn an article for Intellectual Property Magazine, European Patent Attorney Olaf Ungerer examines the complexity of the IoT landscape, and he explores why patent pools offer an attractive solution for complex IoT products by reducing transaction costs for licensors and implementers and potentially reducing aggregate royalty. This article arises from the “Contribution to the Debate on SEPs” (E03600), published January 2021, by the Group of Experts on Licensing and Valuation of Standard Essential Patents advising the European Commission.
Wed 4th Aug 2021
The pros and cons of standards-based patent poolsPatent pools have a long history, and one of the first patent pools was formed in 1856 for sewing machines. These days they form an important part of the basis for industry standards in regard to technologies which are necessary (essential) to develop compatible products and services. Examples can be seen in the fields of mobile communications, information coding, public health etc. and they often relate to technologies that are yet to be fully developed.
Thu 22nd Jul 2021
What is a patent pool and how does it operate?Where a company is developing technology which needs to adhere to industry-wide standards, then it may be advantageous or necessary to participate in a patent pool.
Mon 19th Jul 2021
EBoA decides that EPO videoconferences are allowed without consent of parties in a ‘general emergency’On 16 July 2021, the Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBoA) of the European Patent Office issued its decision in case G 1/21
Wed 14th Jul 2021
Unified Patent Court Agreement moves ahead as German Federal Constitutional Court rejects challengesYet another step forward has been made towards the establishment of the Unified Patent Court, with the rejection by the German Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) of the two applications for preliminary injunction against the ratification Bill of the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court.
Mon 15th Mar 2021
Key implications for patent practitioners in connection with computer simulations arising from G1/19Olaf Ungerer, a partner and European patent attorney in Munich, highlights key lessons for patent attorneys concerning the patentability of computer-implemented simulations, following the long-awaited decision from the European Patent Office (EPO) on the referred questions in G1/19.
Tue 22nd Dec 2020
Another step forward and possible new hurdles for the European Patent CourtIn its last meeting last Friday, the Federal Council in Germany approved the Agreement on a European Patent Court (UPCA).
Fri 4th Dec 2020
EU Unified Patent Court one step closer after German ratificationAt the end of November, the German Bundestag voted through the draft ratification bill which includes consent to the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPCA).
Thu 21st May 2020
German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) clarifies view of non-technical features in patenting of graphical software user interfacesA recent decision by the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) relates to European Patent Convention (EPC) law and provides guidance for software companies seeking to protect an inventive step in a graphical user interface at the European Patent Office (EPO).
Mon 23rd Mar 2020
Unified Patent Court for Europe hits a wall after German Court decisionProgress towards a Unified Patent Court for Europe has been dealt a blow after the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany declared the ‘Act of Approval’ void.
Wed 22nd Jan 2020
German government plans an exception to the automatic injunctionThe German government is planning to introduce an exception to the automatic injunction (paragraph 139 of the German Patent Law).
Thu 16th Jan 2020
Olaf Ungerer to take the spotlight and speak at the 2020 IIPLA CongressFrom 29 – 30 January 2020, Olaf Ungerer will be attending and speaking at the Intellectual Property Congress in Dubai hosted by the International Intellectual Property Law Association (IIPLA).
Mon 28th Oct 2019
Workshop – IP protection for artificial intelligence and roboticsOn 22 November, Olaf Ungerer and Tom Woodhouse will be in Berlin to deliver a workshop hosted jointly with the RAILS Society on IP protection for artificial intelligence and robotics.
Tue 15th Oct 2019
World Intellectual Property Forum: exploring innovation and economic growth in TaiwanFrom 6-8 November 2019, European patent attorney Olaf Ungerer will be attending and speaking at the annual World Intellectual Property Forum which takes place in Taipei, Taiwan.
Tue 27th Aug 2019
German Federal Court of Justice clarified responsibilities for divisional patent applicationsIn a new decision X ZB 9/18 (“Abstandsberechnungsverfahren”) of 7 May 2019 the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof or BGH) has clarified the responsibilities of each of the German patent authorities for receiving and examining divisional applications at different procedural stages.
Tue 12th Feb 2019
Workshop on ‘Artificial intelligence and robotics’ in Munich, 15 April 2019Patent attorneys from our London and Munich offices will be presenting at a workshop on ‘IP Protection for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics’ on 15 April 2019. The workshop will be hosted in partnership with the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Law Society (RAILS) and will be held in Munich at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office.
Mon 24th Sep 2018
Cheers! Is intellectual property overtaking hops as the main ingredient in German beer?With a history dating back to the Sumerians, Egyptians and Celts - there is still much work going on to optimize beer production with new inventions in the field of brewing, particularly in Germany.
Mon 6th Aug 2018
Still no utility model for methods – German Federal Court of Justice confirms exclusion of utility model protection for methodsOn 27 March 2018, the German Federal Court of Justice (the Bundesgerichtshof – Germany’s highest court of civil and criminal jurisdiction) made a decision relating to case X ZB 18/16 ‘Feldmausbekämpfung’ which confirms that methods cannot benefit from patent protection under the utility model in Germany.
Mon 9th Jul 2018
Securing patent protection for artificial intelligence software applications in GermanyThere is much debate about whether the law is keeping pace with advances in technology and artificial intelligence. Taking an example in the field of chatbots and natural language processing in which he is experienced Olaf Ungerer, a partner based in Munich, has produced a guide for AI developers seeking patent protection for their software in Germany.
Fri 25th May 2018
UK ratification of United Patent Court Agreement formally recognisedThe UK has recently ratified the Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA) and the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities (PPI). Olaf Ungerer discusses the the impact that this will have on Brexit negotiations.
Tue 1st Aug 2017
Olaf Ungerer joins Page White and Farrer to launch Munich officeThe partners of Page White and Farrer are delighted to announce that German and European Patent Attorney Olaf Ungerer joins us today to launch our new office in Munich.
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