tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post5140303337662626172..comments2024-03-28T16:45:51.051+00:00Comments on The IPKat: Monday miscellanyVerónica RodrÃguez Arguijohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763207846940036921noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5574479.post-20829028958764985792013-10-15T13:23:11.471+01:002013-10-15T13:23:11.471+01:00Ah, Jeremy, Monty Hyams! Yes, indeed, "few pe...Ah, Jeremy, Monty Hyams! Yes, indeed, "few people" remember him, and most will not be readers of IPKat. The reason is that he addressed patent information specialists, and only in smaller companies were they also the patent law practising individual. Singular! I was the head and single patent professional in what were locally considered large companies at the time (both companies long bought up by larger corporations with 25+ patent professionals). <br /><br />During the annual Derwent User Meetings that invariably had both a very highly professional technical content and a social content, we learnt both how colleagues (in size) fared and how it was done in large corporations. It brought invaluable contacts to visit when "in the area".<br /><br />The meetings were wisely placed in off-season holiday resorts in the UK (those that I attended), and we invariably had an inspiring talk by Monty.<br /><br />However, I cannot quite agree that he was the first "patent family" definer; there may have been simultaneous invention at least. Just after WW2 (the Second World War to some of you) Otto Ring, the long-time head of the Danish Radio Industry's Patent Association started using a "priority file" (with the priority document(s) defining the father of the "family") to track the fate of parallel applications and to note prior art in the various jurisdictions against them. This material was used in systematic oppositions against any non-Danish laid-out application that could disturb the local industry. For an industry that counted more than 20 individual factories it was a rational way to approach the problems, and a dedicated laboratory created technical solutions that circumvented any remaining patents. This way royalty rates were held down in Denmark if it was decided to use the foreign patents anyway. This association was active from 1940-1978.<br /><br />Thank you for bringing back these memories although the occasion is sad!<br /><br />George Brock-NannestadAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com