Rudolf A. Rentsch

Rudolf Rentsch holds two master‘s degrees, one in law at the University of St. Gallen (magna cum laude), and one in electrical engineering at the ETH Zürich (with a main focus on computer software). He did his doctorate in jurisprudence at the University of Zürich (summa cum laude). From 1997 to 2011 he served as a member of the Swiss Federal Arbitration Commission for the exploitation of copyright and related rights. He was a founding partner of the law firm Rentsch Partner Ltd, which was founded in 2001 as Rentsch Partner, based in Zürich, where he was Chairman of the Board and Partner until 2016.

Since 2010 he is a part-time judge at the Swiss Federal Patent Court, and was re-elected by the United Federal Assembly of the Swiss Parliament for a further term of office until 2028. Since 2017 he is a member of the Advisory Board of Swiss Innovation Valley.

Expertise

• Intellectual property law and competition law
• Patent law
• ICT-Law
• Licensing contract law
• Technology transfer

Career and education

2017 Attorney at law at IPrime Legal AG, Swiss patent attorney at IPrime Rentsch Kaelin AG, part-time federal patent judge, member of the board of directors in SME and start-up companies

2013 Establishment and support of China Desk for intellectual property law

2011 Part-time judge at the Swiss Federal Patent Court

2011 Registration as Swiss Patent Attorney in the Swiss Patent Attorney Register

2001 Foundation of the patent and law firm Rentsch & Partner (today Rentsch Partner AG), Chairman of the Board of Directors and Partner

1997 Member of the Federal Arbitration Commission for the Exploitation of Copyright and Related Rights

1996 Partner in a Zuricher law firm

1990 Attorney at Law

Doctorate and degrees: Dr. iur (University of Zurich; summa cum laude), MA (University of St. Gallen; magna cum laude), Dipl. El.-Ing. (ETH Zurich; focus on computer software).

Honours

2024 Practioner of the Year (MIP Award Patent and Trademark Firms Switzerland)

2017 Prof. Walther Hug-Award

Since 2008 Who's Who Legal (patent law)

2001 Honorary member of INGRES (Institute for Intellectual Property)

1987 Walter René Schluep-Award

• The copyrightability of works of applied art in China – Case Note of Guiding Case No. 157 by the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China”, GRUR International 2023, 1142ff., Rudolf A. Rentsch and Raphael Zingg
• Entwicklung und Relevanz des neuen Einheitspatentsystems, KMU Magazin, Horn 03/2023, Rudolf A. Rentsch and Thomas Kretschmer
• Klage wegen Patentrecht und vorsorgliche Massnahmen bei Patentverletzung, Kommen-tierte Musterklagen zum Gesellschaftsrecht und zum Geistigen Eigentum, Vol. II, 2. Ed., Zurich 2022, Editors Fischer/Theus Simoni/Gessler, with Ronny Banchik and Raphael Zingg
• Assessment of radio streaming platforms under Swiss law, sic! 1/2021, Bern 2021, Rudolf A. Rentsch
• Tax Reform STAF - Legal and Practical Implementation Issues with the Patent Box and the R and D Special Deduction, CH-D Wirschaft 2020, Chamber of Commerce Germany Switzerland, Zurich 2020, Rudolf A. Rentsch, Stefan Wigger
• The Swiss Patent Box - New Legal Framework and Opportunities for Switzerland as a Center of Innovation, presentation at the seminar Big Data and licensing agreements in the light of competition and tax law, Europa Institute UZH/LES, Zurich 22. January 2020
• Tax reform Switzerland - Stimulating innovation with the new patent box, CH-D Wirschaft 3/2019, Chamber of Commerce Germany Switzerland, Zurich 2019, Rudolf A. Rentsch, Stefan Wigger
• Dealing with innovations in a global environment, KMU-Magazin, Horn 2019, Rudolf A. Rentsch, Alexander Grosse-Kracht
• Presentation on the Swiss tax reform (TRAF), D4 Business Village Luzern, Luzern 12.09.2019
• Commentary on Articles 109-111, 121-124 and 131-138 PatG, in: Schweizer Mark, Zech Herbert (ed.), Patent Law, Stämpflis Handkommentar, Bern 2019, Rudolf A. Rentsch (Art. 121-124 and 131-138 in co-authorship with Moritz A. Kälin)
• Patents 2018, Switzerland, "Getting The Deal Through", London 2018, Rudolf A. Rentsch, Andrea Carreira, Demian Stauber
• Patents 2017, Switzerland, "Getting The Deal Through", London 2017, Rudolf A. Rentsch, Andrea Carreira, Demian Stauber
• Patents 2016, Switzerland, "Getting The Deal Through", London 2016, Rudolf A. Rentsch, Andrea Carreira, Demian Stauber
• Geistiges Eigentum - Bewertung von Immaterialgütern, KMU Magazin, Horn 2016, Rudolf A. Rentsch
• Das Europäische Patentrecht und seine Harmonisierungswirkungen in der nationalen Rechtsprechung der Schweiz. Eine sozialwissenschaftliche Analyse der nationalen Praxis, Diss., Zurich, Schriften zum Medien- und Immaterialgüterrecht, Vol. 102, Bern 2016., Rudolf A. Rentsch
• Ausgewählte rechtsvergleichende Aspekte der Nichtigkeitsanfechtung von Patenten - unter gleichzeitiger Rückbesinnung auf Grundlagen des Patentrechts, in: Christian Osterrieth/Martin Köhler/Klaus Haft (Editors), Patentrecht - Festschrift für Thomas Reimann zum 65. Geburtstag, Zurich 2009, Rudolf A. Rentsch
• "Chinese patent law and regulations regarding securing and controlling technology", Conference of 18.11.2015, organised by SSIP, Zhongshan Municipal People's Government, NHTP (see www.sccc.ch)
• Die patentrechtliche Einrede des freien Standes der Technik, insbesondere im Bereich der Nachmachung, sic! 2006, 15 ff., Rudolf A. Rentsch, Gregor Wild
• Die Unkenntnis des Standes der Technik begründet keine erfinderische Tätigkeit, in: Binsenwahrheiten des Immaterialgüterrechts, Festschrift für Lucas David zum 60. Geburtstag, 59 ff., Zurich 1996 ff., Rudolf A. Rentsch

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