How did the Reich Court shape the execution and licensing requirements in German patent law during its existence from 1877 to 1945? To find out, the study analyzes all decisions of the Reich Court regarding execution and licensing requirements and places them in a temporal context. The focus is on two questions: How did external circumstances affect the assessment of public interest? And what motivations led to patent withdrawal and compulsory licensing lawsuits? In this context, the study also examines whether the foreign status of a party in the proceedings played a role.