In case you missed it, the 2010 inductees have been announced.  Here’s the release from IAM Magazine: 

Five prominent figures from the global intellectual property community have been selected for induction into the IP Hall of Fame for 2010. This follows a selection process that involved IP professionals from around the world and culminated in a final vote by members of the IP Hall of Fame Academy.

The individuals to be inducted are:

• Thomas Blanco-White: An eminent barrister and former head of the largest IP chambers in the UK. He was the author of books and textbooks that earned him an international reputation as one of the greatest thinkers and writers about IP of his generation. Blanco-White died in 2006 at the age of 90.

• Donald Dunner: Leading IP lawyer and partner at US law firm Finnegan. Instrumental in the establishment of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, he has argued more cases before the court than any other litigator.

• Paul Michel: Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. As a judge on the court for the last 20 years, Michel has helped shape the landscape of patent law in the US and has handed down some of the court’s most important judgments.

• Jochen Pagenberg: Co-founder and senior member of German IP firm Bardehle Pagenberg. He is an adviser to the German Federal Ministry of Justice, as well as president of the European Patent Lawyers Association and chairman of the special committee on European patent litigation of the AIPPI.

• Ruud Peters: CEO of Philips IP & Standards and one of the world’s most prominent chief IP officers. He has successfully made intellectual property a major boardroom issue and delivered significant value to the company by demonstrating how IP can be used as a corporate asset.

 

The IP Hall of Fame was created in 2006 by IAM magazine as a not-for-profit exercise that focuses on individuals, from areas such as business, politics, finance, the law, academia, the arts and science and technology, who have played a major role in the creation of today’s IP system. Previous inductees include former US presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, the great French author Victor Hugo and inventor Thomas Edison, as well as more current names such as Marshall Phelps formerly head of IP at both IBM and Microsoft, Dolores Hanna, the first female president of the International Trademark Association and British judge Lord Justice Robin Jacob.

Inductees into the IP Hall of Fame are selected for the outstanding contribution they have made to the development of IP law and practice, so helping to establish IP as one of the key business assets of the 21st century. The final decision as to who should be inducted lies with the IP Hall of Fame Academy, comprising a mixture of previous IP Hall of Fame inductees and invited thought-leaders from the global intellectual property community. They vote on nominations received from IP professionals based in countries across the world.

Reaction from inductees:

I am honoured to have been selected as an inductee into the IAM IP Hall of Fame. My fellow and past inductees represent a who’s who of contributors to the law of intellectual property. I am flattered to have been selected to join them. – Donald Dunner

I know or knew recent inductees, including Judge Pauline Newman, Director Francis Gurry, Ms Dolores Hanna and Sir Hugh Laddie. Donald Dunner is a leading member of my Litigation Advisory Group. Being selected to stand in their company is an honour and pleasure, for I admire and respect their contributions to intellectual property law. – Paul Michel

I am surprised and delighted to be inducted into the IP Hall of Fame, and I feel of course very honoured being part of such a distinguished group of fellow inductees. It was also an honour for me when I was elected last November president of the European Patent Lawyers Association, but that will involve a lot of work. With the IP Hall of Fame, one can just lean back and enjoy. – Jochen Pagenberg

I am very honoured by the decision of the Academy to elect me into the IP Hall of Fame. More than anything, it is a wonderful recognition of the creativity and hard work of our team at Philips over the last decade. Together, we have transformed IP in our company into a valuable business asset and an indispensable tool to support the growth, competitiveness and profitability of our business. – Ruud Peters