History: from 1833 to the present
The firm Vriesendorp & Gaade was founded in 1833 by Mr. Anthony Nicolaas Vriesendorp (1806 -...
On August 6, 1837, Anthony Vriesendorp was appointed as a government candidate. Candidates,...
In the years that followed, interest in protecting the industrial...
To make it clear that the firm Vriesendorp & Gaade continues to offer its old services - handling...
It soon became clear that Vriesendorp & Gaade was entering a new period of prosperity. Despite the...
While Ir. Davidson served as an army officer in 1939 and 1940, Dipl. Ing...
The time-consuming reconstruction of the archives and administration required a great deal of help from all sorts of...
In 1970, the European Patent Convention entered into force. This convention aimed to establish a single...
Through the acquisition of a small local patent office, Octrooibureau Vriesendorp & Gaade acquired...
On May 1, 2008, the London Agreement came into force, which ended national requirements for...
Since the European Patent Office was established in 1977, proposals have been made for a...
In 2014, after 65 years on Dr. Kuyperstraat, Vriesendorp & Gaade moved to a...
As one of the oldest, if not héAs the world's oldest patent office, Vriesendorp & Gaade has a rich history dating back to 1833. Here are some of the most remarkable milestones in our company's history.
Founding (1833)
The firm of Vriesendorp & Gaade was founded in 1833 by Mr. Anthony Nicolaas Vriesendorp (1806-1845) and Jan Hendrik Gaade (1800-1861). Initially, the office was located in Jan Hendrik's house in The Hague, at Westeinde 10. On September 27, 1833, they filed their first patent application, acting as their representatives.
Mr.Vriesendorp (l) and Mr. Gaade (r)
The Profession (1837)
On August 6, 1837, Anthony Vriesendorp was appointed as a government solicitor. Solicitors, twenty of whom lived in The Hague and twenty in Brussels, were government-appointed intermediaries between the public and the government. They were responsible for submitting applications to the government in the correct form. When the flawed Patent Act of 1869 was repealed in the Netherlands in 1817, this meant the end of the government solicitor profession. The future of the firm Vriesendorp & Gaade looked bleak.
Patent No. 1 under the new Patent Act (1910)
In the years that followed, interest in the protection of industrial property grew. More and more voices were raised in the Netherlands to reintroduce a patent law. Ultimately, a bill for a patent law was submitted in 1905, which reached the Staatsblad (State Gazette) as a patent law in 1910. Mr. Kleyn, who moved the firm to Noordeinde 75, had specialized as a lawyer and solicitor in the field of industrial property. It was therefore not surprising that he resumed applying for patents when the patent law was reintroduced in 1910. Remarkably, it was the firm of Vriesendorp & Gaade that represented the (now expired) Dutch patent no. 1.
Patent No. 1 under the Patent Act 1910 (see also Publication No. NL 1 C on spacenet)
Name change (1912)
To make it clear that Vriesendorp & Gaade had resumed its old service—handling patent matters—it changed its name in 1912 to "Octrooibureau Vriesendorp & Gaade." It also continued its previous activities, including filing trademarks and factory trademarks and handling trademark matters.
First World War (1914-1918)
It soon became clear that Vriesendorp & Gaade was entering a new period of prosperity. Despite the World War and the subsequent economic crisis, the initially modest patent office continued to expand. In 1918, the firm moved to larger premises at Nieuwe Uitleg 3. Due to the growing importance of patents in the Netherlands, the activities of Vriesendorp & Gaade Patent Office increased significantly, making it necessary to expand the partnership. Patent attorney Ir. CMR Davidson joined the partnership.
World War II (1940-1945)
While Ir. Davidson served as an army officer in 1939 and 1940, Dipl. Ing. Gebhard and his staff led the Vriesendorp & Gaade Patent Office through difficult times. Although communication with many countries was gradually interrupted, work on De Nieuwe Uitleg 3 continued almost until the end of the war. Unfortunately, two months before the end of the war, on March 3, 1945, The Hague was heavily hit by an Allied bombing raid. A direct hit on the adjacent buildings of De Nieuwe Uitleg resulted in the Vriesendorp & Gaade Patent Office building being completely destroyed within hours.
New Explanation before and after the bombing in 1945
A New Beginning (1949)
The time-consuming reconstruction of the archives and records required considerable help from various sources, including the Patent Office, fellow patent attorneys, and clients. In 1949, the Vriesendorp & Gaade Patent Office moved to Dr. Kuyperstraat 6, where it remained until 2014.
The European Patent (1978)
In 1970, the European Patent Convention entered into force. This convention aimed to create a "bundle" of national patents through a single patent application. Since 1978, it has been possible to file such a "European patent application," and this option was frequently used. In 1977, the European Patent Office was established, with The Hague being chosen as one of its satellite offices. There, the European Patent Office could benefit from the extensive library of worldwide patent publications of the Dutch Patent Office.
Branch in Apeldoorn (1998)
Following the acquisition of a small local patent office, Octrooibureau Vriesendorp & Gaade established a branch in Apeldoorn in 1998. From this location, Octrooibureau Vriesendorp & Gaade can more easily serve clients throughout the country.
London Agreement (2008)
On May 1, 2008, the London Agreement entered into force, ending national translation requirements following the grant of a European patent in the Netherlands. This resulted in a significant decrease in translation-related work for all patent offices in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, Octrooibureau Vriesendorp & Gaade was also forced to let go of several very loyal translators and staff.
Unitary patent
Since the establishment of the European Patent Office in 1977, proposals have been made for a unitary patent. Unlike the current European patent, this unitary patent would not be broken down into a bundle of national rights after grant, but would apply to all Member States. After several failed attempts in the late 20th century,e century, significant steps were taken in the early 21st century towards the realisation of such a unitary patent.
Relocation (2014)
In 2014, after 65 years at Dr. Kuyperstraat, Vriesendorp & Gaade moved to a new office building at Koninginnegracht 19 in The Hague, just 100 meters from Dr. Kuyperstraat. From this completely renovated office building, Vriesendorp & Gaade's staff are still ready to serve you today.