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A patent attorney is an attorney who has the specialized qualifications necessary for representing clients in obtaining patents and acting in all matters and procedures relating to patent law and practice, such as filing an opposition. The term is used differently in different countries, and thus may or may not require the same legal qualifications as a general legal practitioner. An attorney is someone who represents someone else in the transaction of business: For attorney-at-law, see lawyer, solicitor, barrister or civil law notary. ...
For other uses, see Patent (disambiguation). ...
Lady Justice or Justitia is a personification of the moral force that underlies the legal system (particularly in Western art). ...
The titles patent agent and patent lawyer are also used in some jurisdictions. In some jurisdictions the terms are interchangeable, in others the latter is generally used only if the person qualified as a lawyer. A lawyer, according to Blacks Law Dictionary, is a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice law. ...
Qualification regimes In Europe, the requirements for practising as patent attorney before national patent offices should be distinguished from those needed for practising before the European Patent Office (EPO). On the national level, the requirements are not harmonized across the European Union, except that the EU makes sure that respective professional qualifications are mutually recognised to some degree. World map showing the location of Europe. ...
The European Patent Organisation (EPO or EPOrg in order to distinguish it from the European Patent Office, which is one of the two organs of the organisation [1]) is a public international organisation set up by the European Patent Convention (EPC). ...
Australia Registration as a patent attorney in Australia is administered by the Professional Standards Board for Patents and Trade Marks Attorneys (the "PSB").[1]
To apply to become an Australian patent attorney, one must:
- Pass the nine topics set out in Schedule 5 to the Patent Regulations 1991.
- Hold a suitable tertiary educational qualification in a field of technology that contains potentially patentable subject matter.
- Be an Australian resident.
- Have worked for a year as:
- a technical assistant (trainee patent attorney) in a patent attorney's practice;
- an employee in a company in Australia, practising patent matters on behalf of that company; or
- an examiner of patents at IP Australia (the Australian Patent Office).
- Be of good fame, integrity or character, and not have been convicted within the past five years of offences against Patents, Trade Marks and Designs legislation.[2]
Until the late 1990s, topics were mainly taught and examined by members of the patent attorney profession under the oversight of the PSB, but this process has now been brought into the university system within Australia.
Once registered, a Patent and Trademark Attorney may be elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia.[3]
Canada To become a registered patent agent in Canada one must first complete a twelve-month mentorship training program as well as complete a series of four qualifying exams.
Each of the four exams (also referred to individually as Paper A, B, C, and D) is four hours in length. Paper A relates to the preparation of a patent application. Paper B relates to the validity of a patent. Paper C relates to the preparation of a response to an Official Action. Paper D relates to the infringement of a patent. Unlike the US system, the Canadian examination format is paper based and is offered once yearly in April. Results are posted in the autumn of the same year.
The exam is notoriously challenging and most applicants attempt the exam over several years. In order to pass, candidates must score a minimum of 50 out of 100 on each paper, with a minimum aggregate mark of 240 on all four papers. Recent amendments to the pass requirements enable candidates to carry forward paper marks (greater than 60 out of 100), if the minimum aggregate mark is not achieved.
Review courses are held each summer and fall by IPIC (Intellectual Property Institute of Canada). The summer course tends to be more general in scope than the fall course, where drafting practice examinations is emphasised.
Once certified, a registered patent agent is given powers under the Canadian Patent Act to represent applicants applying to the Canadian Patent Office to obtain patent protection. Canadian registered patent agents may apply for U.S. patent agent status in order to act on behalf of Canadian resident applicants before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The Patent Act is the Canadian Act of Parliament that governs the patent law in Canada. ...
PTO headquarters in Alexandria The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO or USPTO) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides patent and trademark protection to inventors and businesses for their inventions and corporate and product identification. ...
European Patent Organisation -
The task of the European Patent Office (EPO), which is the main organ of the European Patent Organisation, is to grant European patents.[4] The EPO is not legally bound to the European Union, instead being an international body set up under an entirely different international treaty, the European Patent Convention (EPC). The European Patent Convention (EPC), the multilateral treaty providing the legal system according to which European patents are granted, contains provisions regarding whether a natural or legal person needs to be represented in proceedings before the European Patent Office (EPO). ...
The European Patent Organisation (EPO or EPOrg in order to distinguish it from the European Patent Office, which is one of the two organs of the organisation [1]) is a public international organisation set up by the European Patent Convention (EPC). ...
It has been suggested that Protocol (treaty) be merged into this article or section. ...
The Convention on the Grant of European Patents of 5 October 1973, commonly known as the European Patent Convention (EPC), is a multilateral treaty instituting the European Patent Organisation and providing an autonomous legal system according to which European patents are granted. ...
In order to be entitled to represent clients (generally patent applicants, proprietors and opponents) before the EPO, a patent attorney must first be registered to act in that capacity as a professional representative. To be registered, an individual must qualify as a European patent attorney and, to that end, must pass a pencil-and-paper examination, the European Qualifying Examination (EQE). [5] The EQE consists of four papers [5] sat over three days, each day lasting between 6 hours and seven and a half hours. In order to enroll for the examination, an engineering or scientific degree is required (though long experience in a scientific domain can be sufficient under certain very limited conditions), and the candidate must also have practised under supervision for at least three years in the domain of national or European patent law. The opposition procedure before the European Patent Office (EPO) is a post-grant inter partes procedure intended to allow any European patent to be centrally opposed if it was wrongly granted. ...
The European Patent Convention (EPC), the multilateral treaty providing the legal system according to which European patents are granted, contains provisions regarding whether a natural or legal person needs to be represented in proceedings before the European Patent Office (EPO). ...
The EPC sets out the circumstances under which an applicant for a European patent must be represented by a professional representative in proceedings before the EPO. [6] Typically, a representative is required if the patent applicant (or all of them if more than one) do not have a place of business in an EPC contracting state.
Germany In Germany, only Patent Attorneys (or Attorneys-at-Law, who are entitled to represent clients in all fields of law) are entitled to represent clients from abroad before the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA). German Patent Attorneys have done their university degrees in engineering or natural sciences and practised in industry before being accepted for additional three years education, i. e. passing a legal training of two years with an established attorney, at the same time studies of German Law and afterwards a training in intellectual property and an examination at the DPMA. They are further entitled to represent their clients before the German federal court of patents (and trademarks) and in patent cases (nullity) before the German Supreme Court. [citation needed] However, independent from their nationality, any natural person or any legal person who does not domicile in Germany or who has no place of business in Germany needs to be represented by a German patent attorney or attorney-at-law to participate in procedures and to claim any rights before the DPMA and the German federal court of patents (Bundespatentgericht, BPatG), however not before the German Supreme Court (Bundesgerichtshof, BGH) which is second instance for nullity proceedings in patents. [citation needed] The Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt (DPMA) or German Patent and Trade Mark Office (GPTO) is the German national patent office, with headquarters at Munich. ...
Japan Patent specialists in Japan are known as benrishi and must take a qualifying exam to receive the title. While not qualified as attorneys, they are given many attorney-like powers within the field of intellectual property law, including the ability to represent clients in litigation and arbitration within the area specified by Patent Attorney Law in Japan. Barristers (bengoshi) are also qualified to work in patent law. [citation needed] Benrishi (å¼ç†å£«) is a Japanese quasi-legal profession specifically licensed to practice intellectual property law. ...
New Zealand In order to become registered as a Patent Attorney in New Zealand one must: - Be a New Zealand citizen, Commonwealth citizen (British subject) or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland.
- Be aged 21 (twenty one) years of age or over.
- Have passed the New Zealand Patent Attorney Examinations.
- Be of good character.
- Been employed for a period(s) of at least three years by a Patent Attorney in New Zealand, The Patent Office, or in a form of employment that offers substantially similar practical experience.
Registration as a Patent Attorney may then lead to election as a Fellow in the New Zealand Institute of Patent Attorneys.
Singapore To become registered as a Patent Agent in Singapore, one must:[7] - be a resident in Singapore;
- hold a university degree or equivalent qualification approved by the Registrar;
- have passed the patent and trademark law course;
- have passed the 4 patent examinations[8]; and
- have been supervised by a registered patent agent(or equivalent) for at least 12 months.
Once registered a Patent agent may then be elected as an ordinary member of the Association of Patent Agents of Singapore.
United Kingdom Any person can act at the UK Patent Office, but the titles "Patent Attorney" (which is synonymous with "Patent Agent") and "Registered Patent Attorney" (which is synonymous with "Registered Patent Agent") are reserved for those duly qualified[9].
Qualification is achieved by passing the JEB patent foundation level papers (or gaining an exemption by passing certain university courses such as that organised by Queen Mary University in London) and then the JEB patent advanced level papers[10].
The JEB patent foundation papers are P1 - Patent Law and Procedures, P5 - Overseas Patent Law, D&C - Designs & Copyright, Law - Basic English Law, T1 - Basic UK Trademarks and T5 - Overseas Trademarks.
The JEB patent advanced papers are P2 - Patent Practice, P3 - Drafting a Patent Application, P4 - Amending a Patent Application and P6 - Infringement and Validity of a Patent. Exemptions from P3 and P4 can be obtained by passing the corresponding European Qualifying Exams (Papers A & B respectively).
The advanced papers are notoriously difficult. In 2006 only eight candidates from the whole of the UK passed all four advanced papers.
Membership of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys as a fellow gives the right to call oneself a Chartered Patent Agent or Chartered Patent Attorney. (To become a fellow, a person must have passed the UK Advanced Level exams, have accrued sufficient professional experience and be nominated by two existing fellows[11] The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) is the British professional body of patent attorneys. ...
United States In the United States, a practitioner may either be a patent attorney or patent agent. Both patent attorneys and patent agents have the same license to represent clients before the Patent Office, part of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Both patent agents and patent attorneys may prepare, file and prosecute patent applications for their clients before the Patent Office. Patent agents and patent attorneys may also provide patentability opinions, as noted by the U.S. Supreme Court in Sperry v. Florida.[12] PTO headquarters in Alexandria The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO or USPTO) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides patent and trademark protection to inventors and businesses for their inventions and corporate and product identification. ...
A patent application is a request pending at a patent office for the grant of a patent for the invention described and claimed by that application. ...
Within the context of a national or multilateral body of law, an invention is patentable if it meets the relevant legal conditions to be granted a patent. ...
Patent attorneys are also admitted to the practice of law in at least one state or territory of the United States. Of the states, California has the most patent attorneys (and agents), followed by New York and Texas [13]. Per capita, Delaware has more patent attorneys (and agents) than any state (not including DC). Both Patent Attorneys and Patent Agents are generally required to have a technical degree (such as engineering, chemistry or Physics) and must take and pass the Patent Office Bar Examination. [14]. Since patent attorneys are admitted to practice law in a state or territory, they can additionally provide legal services outside the Patent Office. These services include advising a client on the legal matters related to the licensing of the invention; whether to appeal a decision by the Patent Office to a court; whether to sue for infringement; whether someone is infringing upon the claims of a client's issued patent; and conversely, whether a client is infringing the claims of someone else's issued patent. Patent agents cannot provide legal services of this nature, nor can they represent clients before the Trademark Office part of the USPTO. In the United States, admission to the bar is permission granted by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. ...
An incorporated territory of the United States is a specific area under the jurisdiction of the United States, over which the United States Congress has determined that the United States Constitution is to be applied to the territorys local government and inhabitants in its entirety (e. ...
An invention is an object, process, or technique which displays an element of novelty. ...
The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...
Patent claims are usually in the form of a series of numbered expressions, or more precisely noun phrases, following the description of the invention in a patent or patent application, and define, in technical terms, the extent of the protection conferred by a patent or by a patent application. ...
In order to be registered as a patent agent or patent attorney, one must pass the USPTO registration examination[15]. This exam, commonly referred to as the "patent bar," tests a candidate's knowledge of patent law and USPTO policies and procedures as set forth in the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP). Upon completion of the examination, one will be labeled as a patent attorney if he/she already has a law degree. However, engineers, scientists and any other science based majors will be labeled as a patent agent since they can not give legal advice nor support clients in courtrooms. The latest exam result statistics are from June 9, 2005 through October 17, 2006: during that time, 58.2% of the 4,165 candidates passed the exam, which was based upon MPEP, 8th Edition, Revision 2. [16] The current exam is based on MPEP, 8th Edition, Revision 4, as of October 19, 2006. (No tests were given based upon MPEP, 8th Edition, Revision 3.) A patent attorney is an attorney who has the specialized qualifications necessary for representing clients in obtaining patents and acting in all matters and procedures relating to patent law and practice, such as filing an opposition. ...
The Manual for Patent Examining Proceedure (MPEP) is a manual for patent agents and patent examiners published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). ...
A candidate must also have adequate scientific and technical training to understand a client's invention. The training requirement can be met by a bachelor's degree in the natural sciences (e.g. physics) or engineering. This is known as Category A qualification. One can also meet the scientific and technical training requirement by qualifying under Category B or Category C. Category B provides four distinct qualification options where each option requires a requisite number of semester hours in physics, biology, chemistry, computer science, and/or engineering. One can qualify under Category C through a showing that he or she has taken and passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination. Specific details of the various ways in which one can qualify for the USPTO registration examination are outlined in the USPTO Registration Statement. Degrees in the social sciences, mathematics or philosophy by themselves do not meet this requirement. A bachelors degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three, four, or in some cases and countries, five or six years. ...
The term natural science as the way in which different fields of study are defined is determined as much by historical convention as by the present day meaning of the words. ...
This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...
Engineering is the design, analysis, and/or construction of works for practical purposes. ...
This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...
This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...
Chemistry - the study of interactions of chemical substances with one another and energy based on the structure of atoms, molecules and other kinds of aggregrates Chemistry (from Egyptian kēme (chem), meaning earth[1]) is the science concerned with the composition, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the...
Computer science, or computing science, is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ...
Engineering is the design, analysis, and/or construction of works for practical purposes. ...
In the United States, the Fundamentals of Engineering exam (also known as the FE exam) is the first of two examinations engineers must pass in order to be certified as a Professional Engineer. ...
The social sciences are a group of academic disciplines that study human aspects of the world. ...
Euclid, Greek mathematician, 3rd century BC, as imagined by by Raphael in this detail from The School of Athens. ...
The philosopher Socrates about to take poison hemlock as ordered by the court. ...
A candidate must also possess "good moral character and reputation" (37 CFR 11.7). If practicing outside the United States, a patent agent or patent attorney must be a U.S. citizen. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules and regulations (sometimes called administrative law) published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government of the United States. ...
India In India, a person registered to practice before Indian Patent Office is called as "Registered Patent Agent" or simply "Patent agent". A patent agent having a law degree is generally called as Patent Attorney, although Indian Patent Law specifically does not mention the designation of "Patent Attorney". Indian Patent Office conducts a qualifying examination for patent agent registration twice a year. Indian Patent Law mandates a science or technical degree for person(s) to appear for the qualifying examination. Other criterias for eligibility include being an Indian Citizen, and 21 years of age. There are approximately 1100 registered patent agents in India. However many of the patent agents got themselves registered without appearing for the qualifying examination before the amendment that took place recently has mandated the patent agent qualifying examination. It can also be inferred that many of them who got registered before the amendment took place do not have any science or technical degree. Intellectual Property India The Indian Patent Office is administered by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks (CGPDTM). ...
Ireland Under Section 107 of Ireland's Patents Act, 1992 entry in the Register of Patent Agents requires that the applicant resides and has a place in a member state of the European Union and possesses the prescribed educational and professional qualifications, which are: Motto (Latin) United in diversity Anthem Ode to Joy(orchestral) Commission seat Brussels Official languages 23 Bulgarian Czech Danish Dutch English Estonian Finnish French German Greek Hungarian Irish Italian Latvian Lithuanian Maltese Polish Portuguese Romanian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish Member states 27 Austria Belgium Bulgaria Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia...
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- Leaving Certificate or equivalent: a C grade in at least two higher level subjects (or ordinary level B grade) and a D grade in at least three other subjects
- First-year university (or equivalent) education in engineering, chemistry, or physics
- Employment for at least 3 years in the office of a registered patent agent in an EU member state
- Success at the following examinations:
- Irish law and practice of patents (set by Irish Patents Office)
- Drafting of patent specifications (set by United Kingdom's JEB, Advanced Paper P3)
- Amendment of patent specifications (set by United Kingdom's JEB, Advanced Paper P4)
- Infringement and validity (set by United Kingdom's JEB, Advanced Paper P6)
As in the UK (see above), exemptions from the Drafting and Amendment papers can be obtained if the equivalent papers in the European Qualifying Examination have been passed. The Leaving Certificate (Irish: Ardteistiméireacht), commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert (Irish: Ardteist) is the final course in the Irish secondary school system and culminates with the Leaving Certificate Examination. ...
Engineering is the design, analysis, and/or construction of works for practical purposes. ...
Chemistry - the study of interactions of chemical substances with one another and energy based on the structure of atoms, molecules and other kinds of aggregrates Chemistry (from Egyptian kēme (chem), meaning earth[1]) is the science concerned with the composition, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the...
This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...
Notable patent attorneys and agents See List of patent attorneys and agents, including fictional characters who are patent attorneys. This is a list of notable patent attorneys and agents, including, in the section below, fictional patent attorneys. ...
References The Convention on the Grant of European Patents of 5 October 1973, commonly known as the European Patent Convention (EPC), is a multilateral treaty instituting the European Patent Organisation and providing an autonomous legal system according to which European patents are granted. ...
The Convention on the Grant of European Patents of 5 October 1973, commonly known as the European Patent Convention (EPC), is a multilateral treaty instituting the European Patent Organisation and providing an autonomous legal system according to which European patents are granted. ...
Volumes of the United States Reports on the shelf at a law library The United States Reports are the official record of the rulings, orders, case tables, and other proceeding of the Supreme Court of the United States. ...
See also The following is a list of jobs. ...
A patent examiner or patent clerk is an employee, usually a civil servant, working within a patent office. ...
A patent engineer or patent scientist is a patent law professional that is typically involved in preparing and prosecuting patent applications. ...
A power of attorney or letter of attorney in common law systems or mandate in civil law systems is an authorization to act on someone elses behalf in a legal or business matter. ...
A trademark attorney or in the alternative spelling trade mark attorney, also known as a trademark lawyer if qualified as a lawyer, is a person who is qualified to act in matters involving trademark law and practice. ...
The Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office or European Patent Institute (epi) is a professional association of European patent attorneys and an international non-governmental public law corporation. ...
The International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys, also called International Federation of Industrial Property Attorneys or FICPI, an acronym for Fédération Internationale des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle in French, is a professional body of intellectual property professionals, i. ...
This is a list of notable firms of patent attorneys and/or trade mark attorneys within the United Kingdom. ...
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