The Job Of Lawyers In Patent Firms

By Jocelyn Davidson


Patent is a protection provided by the government to an inventor to prevent an invention from malicious copying. In Corvallis, OR and other American states, patents normally last for a period of twenty years. Patent firms employ patent attorneys previously called agents to secure the patents and other intellectual rights. Besides understanding about patents and the laws that apply to them, one must also have an understanding of intellectual property law.

This field has lawyers who work for companies or personal enterprises. The nature of employment determines the nature of cases the practitioner handles. Typically, the job involves meeting clients and discussing details of an invention. The agent then advises the client on the possibility of patents being granted or being denied. This involves traveling for short or long distances from the work place.

Previous patents within the same field of specialty and originality of the invention are the subjects of discussion during meetings. The attorney must conduct research to ensure that the work is original and unique. The lawyer only proceeds to produce a patent draft after determine that an invention is original and has never been filed before. Drafts are brief descriptions of the invention using legal terms.

After confirming that drafts contain all the necessary details and terms of an invention, patents are applied for by the practitioner. Government examiners read through all applications and pose questions to attorneys who filed the applications about the invented work. Attorneys must therefore prepare adequately in advance on how to respond to the questions. Patents are issued for all applications that go through. The agent must go further to ensure that the patents are renewed on a yearly basis on time. Agents also counsel clients about infringements and also represent them in courts of law against the offenders.

Lawyers in this field work for the same of hours as the others in different fields. Work is done for five days in a week, from Monday to Friday except when deadlines have to be met. Urgent matters may sometimes require practitioners to cut short their holidays to attend to them. Most work happens in the office but local and international trips are also part of the job.

Entry into this field requires one to have tertiary qualification in any engineering or scientific discipline. After acquiring the qualifications, candidates are required to take and pass an accredited course of study which satisfies the requirements for registration. Most of the skills needed for the job are acquired while one continues with the practice. Most people begin as technical assistants in a firm or in a department in a company. Taking a postgraduate course in intellectual property law makes one more attractive to employers.

Certain personal and professional skills, qualities, and interests are important to be a successful lawyer. First, wide knowledge in intellectual property law and having a technical or scientific background is mandatory. For proper communication to occur among practitioners and with clients and governing bodies and in court, one must be good in spoken and written communication. Sometimes there are deadlines which require working accurately for hours to meet them.

One should be able to communicate well both orally and in writing in more than one foreign language. This makes it easier to handle international cases. It is also advisable to belong to a given association for cover purposes.




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