Dr Ronelle Geldenhuys is a registered Trans-Tasman patent attorney with more than 15 years’ experience in patent drafting, prosecution and strategy, with a focus on software, AI, electronics and telecommunications. Her career spans major firms, boutique practice and an in-house role at Breville. She is Secretary of FICPI Australia and a Fellow of IPTA.
An electronic engineer with a PhD in electro-optics, Ronelle combines technical expertise with practical prosecution experience. She spent nine years lecturing in engineering before entering patent practice and now teaches in the Master of Industrial Property program at the University of Technology Sydney.
Ronelle was instrumental in convening the Computer-Implemented Inventions Taskforce, a joint initiative of FICPI Australia, IPTA, AIPPI and IPSANZ. Its work includes proposed Patent Manual amendments, submissions and workshops with IP Australia’s examination leadership to align examination practice with current case law.
Ronelle was invited to speak on Australian software patentability at the 2026 IPSANZ Annual Conference in Sydney and the 2026 NZIPA Annual Conference in Christchurch. Her international speaking experience includes plenary sessions at FICPI’s 2025 World Congress in Naples and 2026 Open Forum in Budapest. In addition to organising the conference plenary session in Budapest, she helped organise the first AI Patent Drafting Masterclass.
Ronelle’s teaching draws on her experience as an engineer, educator and patent attorney, together with insights gained through the taskforce’s direct work with IP Australia on examiner training and examination guidance. She brings this practical understanding of how patent law is applied in practice to her teaching on software and AI patent prosecution.
