Photo of Rüdiger Bals

Rüdiger Bals
Grad. Degrees in Engineering and Industrial Engineering

Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney, European Trademark and Design Attorney,
Partner


Profile

Experience

  • Active in industrial property protection since the end of the 1990s
  • Research activities for the Chair of Production Systems
  • Lecturer at the Ruhr University Bochum in the field of Intellectual Property and Value-Added Management
  • Civil court expert activities and expert membership in regional funding programs
  • Competent in civil court activities in the prosecution and defense of intellectual property rights as well as in the case of infringements of intellectual property rights before courts, including the Federal Court of Justice (BGH)

Qualification

  • Mechanical engineering studies with a focus on automation technology, diploma thesis in industry in the field of manufacturing technology for mobile phones, especially in SMD production
  • Studied Economics for Engineers at the Ruhr University Bochum
  • Trained as a German and European patent attorney as well as a German and European trademark and design lawyer in an internationally active patent law firm as well as at the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) and federal patent court (BPatG)
  • Studied "Law for Patent Attorneys" at Fern University Hagen

Technical specialties

  • Mechanical engineering, automotive technology, machine tools
  • Automation technology incl. measurement and control technology, Fuzzy-Logic and KI methods
  • Manufacturing technology and production preparation and management
  • Basics of electrical engineering
  • Optics and laser technology
  • Medical technology
  • Household appliance technology
  • Telecommunications technology

Legal fields

  • National and international application and examination procedures for trademarks, design rights, patents and utility models
  • Opposition and appeal proceedings at the DPMA / EPO
  • Opposition and appeal proceedings for trademarks at DPMA / EUIPO
  • Employee invention law
  • National nullity and infringement proceedings up to the Federal Court of Justice
  • Worldwide IP applications including examination and grant procedures
  • Freedom to Operate analysis
  • Injury reports / elaboration of circumvention options
  • Evaluation of intellectual property rights (especially in the M/A process)
  • Holistic support and advice for companies in industrial property

Patent law activities

  • German and International Trademark Law
  • Injury and nullity processes

Languages

  • German
  • English

Courses/Publications/Lectures

Course: Intellectual Property: Patenting in the Ing. -Wiss., lecture for students and doctoral students of natural and engineering sciences at the Ruhr University Bochum

Memberships

German Patent Attorneys' Association, EPI, FICPI, VPP

Interests

  • Endurance sports (hiking, skiing)
  • Raising children
  • DIY and gardening