PROFESSIONAL CAREER:
Alberto Casado has held a Bachelor’s degree in Law since 1977 and a PhD since 1983. He is a Lawyer of the Industrial Property Registry, which he joined in 1978 by examination. Since then, his professional career has developed closely linked to Industrial and Intellectual Property, both nationally and internationally.
Nationally, he has been the Head of the Patent Service at the SPTO, Director of the Resources Service, Deputy General Director and Director of the Legal Department and of International Relations and, finally, from 2008 to 2012 General Director of the SPTO.
He was co-rapporteur of the Spanish Patents, Trademarks, Semiconductors and Design Laws and member of the Spanish team that dealt with the final phase of Spain’s access to the European Union.
Internationally, he has represented Spain at international forums and conferences since 1980 and continues to do so today. He has been a Delegate of the Uruguay Round that created the new GATT, Spanish representative in the Board of Administration and Budget Committee of the European Patent Office (EPO) and the EUIPO (formerly, OHIM), Head of Delegation in numerous Diplomatic Conferences, both representing his country and the European Union. Among others, he has been acting in the different Diplomatic Conferences that prepared the European Patent, the Nairobi Conference on commercial treatment of the Olympic Symbol, the Washington Conference on Semiconductors and the Madrid Conference that created the International Trademark Protocol.
He has contributed to the preparation and development of European Industrial Property Law, being part of the work groups that prepared the various Directives and Regulations in this sector. Since 1984, he has also been a regular consultant for the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO).
From 1994 to 2004, he was the Vice President of the Community Office responsible for European trademark and design. He was a member of Board of Directors of the Translation Centre for the bodies of the European Union until 2005. From 2012 to December 2018, he was Vice President of the European Patent Office (EPO).
EDUCATION:
Bachelor’s degree in Law, from the University of Santiago de Compostela (1977).
Legal Studies, University of San Francisco (1981).
PhD in Law, Cum Laude, University of Santiago de Compostela (1983).
Excellency award for Doctoral Thesis (1984).
RECOGNITIONS / ASSOCIATIONS:
“Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic” award. (Knight’s Cross)(2016)
“Gold Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland” award. (2001)
Title of “Commander of the Order of Civil Merit” granted by His Majesty the King of Spain. (1998)
PUBLICATIONS:
Alberto has authored a number of publications, articles, books, and is a member of the Board of Editors for several Intellectual and Industrial property journals.
The books he has written (on his own or co-authored in collective or collaborative works) include:
Practical compendium on Industrial Property protection (co-Director), Madrid, 2012.
The community design. Aligning with the legal framework of industrial designs in Europe, Madrid, 1st Ed. 2003; 2nd Ed. 2005.
The community trade mark system: regulations, case law and practice, Madrid, 2000
Trade mark and consumer protection law, Madrid, 2000.
Industrial Property Community Law (2 volumes), Madrid, 1998.
Observations on the Community Trade Mark Regulations (Coordinator), Madrid, 1st ed. 199e; 2nd ed. 2000.
GATT and Industrial Property, Madrid, 1994.
Technology transfer contracts, Impiva, Valencia, 1991.
Observation on the patent law (Several authors), 2 volumes, Madrid, 1987.
TEACHING:
Professor at the Robert Schuman University, Strasbourg, (France) (2005 - 2013).
Member of the Advisory Board of the “McCarthy Center of Intellectual Property and New Technologies”, University of San Francisco, USA (Since 2001).
Professor and member of the Academic Board of the "Magister Lvcentinvs" (Master’s specialising in IP), University of Alicante (Since 1994).
Professor of the Complutense University of Madrid (Since 1980).
Member of the Industrial Law Institute, University of Santiago de Compostela (Since 1978).
Member of the Board of Editors of the Banking and Securities Law Journal, Complutense University of Madrid (Since 1984).
