It has just been 25 years since I have been involved in intellectual property law. Sometimes we accidentally make a choice that significantly shapes our lives, and then we wonder, was it really an accident?

In 2000, intellectual property was not a branch of law known and widely practiced in Poland. During my studies, I became interested in the personal goods of legal entities, and so I was invited to a recruiting process for one of the first intellectual property departments in Poland – in Wardynski & Wspólnicy law firm, about which – as a very young lawyer – I knew only that there was a very
good atmosphere.

Performing a task at a recruitment interview on the parasitic use of the packaging of a well-known repellent, I knew neither what a trademark nor the Law on combating unfair competition was. Yes, that’s right!

I guess it was only my humanistic jam, youthful courage and unconditional openness to challenges that got me hired. I would like to thank for this invaluable opportunity for professional development first and foremost to Tomasz Wardynski, attorney-at-law , Włodzimierz Szoszuk, attorney at law and the late Prof. Irena Wiszniewska-Białecka, a judge at the Court of Justice of the EU from 2004 to 2016.

Intellectual property has become my passion and a significant part of my life. When I was offered a job of a lecturer in civil law at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw by the late Prof. Tomasz Dybowski – a respected Polish civilian and a man of great heart, choosing a topic for my doctorate and devoting it to trademark law was obvious.

The following years showed me that I had made the best choice for me. Intellectual property law is constantly changing, adapting (or not) to the rapidly changing reality, case law evolves and surprises, providing frequent twists and turns.

Thank you to all the Fellows, Colleagues and Clients I have had the opportunity to meet with along the way, and will continue to meet with! My gratitude is immense.

I plan to share my experience this year on how intellectual property protection in Poland has changed over the past 25 years.