The centenary of Einstein’s visit to Spain, where he was received as the celebrity he was, has been as an excuse to review Einstein’s relationship with the world of patents, which, as the reader will have observed, was very close. Some speculate as to whether his work as a patent examiner would have instilled in him the inventiveness necessary to develop his theories of physics, but from the documentation reviewed it would appear that his period as an examiner actually provided him with the time and financial stability necessary to “think”. Regardless, it is difficult to find a person who in his lifetime has been a patent examiner, a court-appointed patent expert, and inventor and patent applicant. Those of us who work in the examination of patent applications cannot help but be proud of the fact that the quintessential “genius” practiced our profession. Continue reading CENTENARY OF ALBERT EINSTEIN’S VISIT TO SPAIN, A GENIUS CLOSELY LINKED TO THE WORLD OF PATENTS