75 Years of Håmsø
Jubilee
Since 1950, Håmsø Patentbyrå has been helping innovators protect their ideas – in Norway and around the world.
Our main focus has always been building strong, long-term relationships with our clients.
Welcome to our anniversary page!
Over the past 75 years, Håmsø Patentbyrå has grown from a small one-man business into one of Europe’s leading patent firms.
We have been a trusted partner for innovators, inventors, and businesses – both in Norway and internationally.
This anniversary page is a celebration of our history, our successes, and the values that have brought us here.
The Pioneer Borge Håmsø
It all began in 1950, when the pioneer Borge Håmsø founded Håmsø Patentbyrå from his home in Figgjo.
But the journey had already begun in 1945, when Borge, a newly graduated engineer from Bergen, was hired by Elmar Helmers Olsen Patent Office in Bergen. There, he gained his first insight into intellectual property – something that would later become his life's work.
Through the Marshall Plan, Borge had the opportunity to travel to the United States to learn from some of the best in business development, including training with George Kenning from General Motors. Although business development was a strong interest of his, the volume of patent work grew steadily, and it eventually became a natural part of his daily life.
In 1965, the family moved from Figgjo to Sandnes, where Borge set up his office at home. As a child, his son Gunnar remembers how they had to keep quiet while their father worked on patents and business consulting.
The work often took him on the road, but back home in Sandnes, the patent firm grew slowly but steadily.
Bust of Borge Håmsø
A New Chapter – Growth and Transition at Håmsø
Eivind Håmsø
Gunnar Håmsø
Eivind and Gunnar Håmsø
In 1978, the eldest son, Eivind, graduated with a law degree from the University of Bergen. He began working with Borge on patent cases during evenings and weekends. As the business grew, the office had to be expanded—first into the fireplace room, and later into a bedroom.
Around 1980, Håmsø Patentbyrå gained its first major industrial client – Kverneland, followed later by Statoil. The first patent applications for Statoil were written in the basement office in Sandnes.
In 1986, they had to move out of the house as the office had become too small, and they rented premises in Vågsgata in the centre of Sandnes. That same year, Gunnar Håmsø joined as a trainee lawyer under Eivind. When he obtained his law licence in 1988, patent work gradually took over. “Patent work was more positive and exciting, whereas legal work often involved tragedies. At the patent firm, the cases were much more uplifting, and it was exciting to see how patents could lead to success for the inventors,” says Gunnar.
In 1990, Eivind and Gunnar took over both the ownership and management of Håmsø Patentbyrå. This generational shift marked a new chapter in the company’s history, and they carried forward their father’s vision with great dedication. Right up until the age of 82, Borge came into the office every day, where he carried out thorough and reliable proofreading – a contribution that reflected both professional pride and deep loyalty to the firm he had helped build.
A New Era for Håmsø
In 2024, we opened a branch office in Oslo, and by 2025 we reached a new milestone: the establishment of a centrally located office in London. This enables us to represent clients directly before the UKIPO – United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office.
Borge Håmsø’s passion for innovation and intellectual property laid the foundation for Håmsø Patentbyrå as a leading player in patent protection. Seventy-five years later, we are proud to carry this legacy forward.
Our Philosophy
At Håmsø Patentbyrå, everything we do is about building strong and lasting relationships. We believe in personal follow-up, honest advice, and solutions tailored to each client’s needs – not in short-term financial gain.
When we identify areas with weak protection, we communicate this openly and honestly. In the long run, this saves our clients valuable resources.
With 75 years of experience in the industry, we are proud to have built a reputation for quality, integrity, and strong professional expertise. Many of our clients have chosen us time and again – and it is that trust we strive to earn every single day.
We strive to deliver in line with our core values: quality, professionalism, long-term relationships, and strong expertise. We are grateful to everyone who has been part of our journey, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with both existing and new clients in the years to come.
The People at Håmsø
Today, we are an international team with employees from many different nationalities, and several of our staff are registered as both European and British patent attorneys.
Our trademark and design team brings many years of industry experience, combined with a strong legal education.
Together with our administrators, who bring extensive administrative experience, we form a skilled and efficient team capable of delivering high-quality work across borders.
The History and Evolution of Our Logo
In the early 1980s, Jim Esben Andersen – a close friend of Gunnar Håmsø and a student at the Bergen School of Arts and Crafts – was given the task of developing a corporate identity. He chose to create one for Håmsø Patentbyrå, designing a logo that has stood the test of time and remains in use more than 40 years later.
The logo was drawn by hand with technical precision and carefully constructed using a rOtring pen, long before digital design tools existed. It was a time-consuming and detailed process – and highly unusual, even groundbreaking, for a patent firm to have a custom-designed logo at that time. The design signaled that the firm had a conscious approach to identity, aesthetics, and communication.
Hardly any other patent firms – in Norway or internationally – had their own logo at the time, which attracted significant attention. With roots in graphic craftsmanship and a deep respect for form and function, the logo communicates not only aesthetics, but also the core of what Håmsø Patentbyrå stands for:
Protecting and managing ideas – always in motion
According to the designer, the logo is inspired by yin and yang, consisting of three rotating, organic shapes that balance each other in an eternal interplay. It evokes associations with duality and harmony, but also with dynamism and forward movement. The form can be read as an eternal circle – a symbol of the creative cycle and the boundless flow of new ideas.
Selve logoens form har i all hovedsak vært uendret siden den gang, men fargen har utviklet seg over tid. Den opprinnelige grønntonen ble etter hvert byttet ut med oransje – et valg som ble gjort for å tilpasse logoen bedre til digitale flater. Samtidig ble skrifttypen justert for å fungere optimalt på skjerm.
Internationally connected
With years of experience filing and prosecuting patent, design, and trademark applications both in Norway and around the world, we’re here to manage your filings wherever your ideas take you.
Since 2018, Håmsø Patentbyrå has proudly served as the Scandinavian representative in the international AIPEX network, providing streamlined management of global IP portfolios.
Highly trusted, client-focused
Our award-winning and international team of attorneys have a wide range of technical backgrounds and extensive experience in a number of fields, both in-house and in private practice. The safety of your rights are our priority, and so we utilise some of the most advanced case management and deadline monitoring systems on the market.
Meet our team
Our knowledge, your peace of mind
