Derk Visser

Dr. Derk Visser studied applied and pure physics at Twente University (NL), Oxford University (UK), and Groningen University (NL), where he received his PhD in physics.

He worked as a scientist in research and development at Philips lectronics for 10 years. While at Philips, he was involved in the standardisation of optical disks; he wrote the ISO standard for the CD-ROM and the template for the DVD and Blu-ray standards.

In 1990 Dr. Visser joined the patent department of Philips Electronics, where he held the position of Senior Patent Attorney. He qualified as a European patent attorney in 1993 and as a Dutch patent attorney in 1995. He acquired extensive experience in drafting and prosecuting patent applications and conducting oppositions.

In 2005 Dr. Visser joined EIP LLP in London, where he was a partner and is now Of Counsel.

Having provided legal opinions on procedural and substantive issues relating to the EPC both in pre-grant proceedings and in large patent validity court cases, Dr. Visser is highly regarded as an authority on the EPC.

Dr. Visser teaches European patent law all over Europe and speaks on behalf of EIP at seminars on the EPC organised by EIP and the EPO.

His book, The Annotated European Patent Convention, grew out of lecture notes he took during his preparation for the European Qualifying Examination in the early 1990s. The first edition was published in 1994 and has been updated annually. The book has become the foremost commentary on European patent law and is a bestseller in the field of patent law.