IIPTA Launch a Career. Be Awesome A Must Read Guide For Patent Agent Examination www.iipta.com A Must Read Guide For Patent Agent Examination OVERVIEW his is a complete guide for all those who are either preparing or wants to prepare for patent agent examination. This resource will Tprovide you an in depth detailed knowledge about the patent agent examination, it’s syllabus, eligibility criteria, exam pattern, what and how to read from where, etc. In short, all the information regarding this particular exam can be found in this particular white paper. Hope you will find it useful in all the ways .. !! www.iipta.com 1 A Must Read Guide For Patent Agent Examination Q1. Who is a Patent Agent? Ans. In India, a person registered to practice before Indian Patent Office is called a “Registered Patent Agent” or simply “Patent agent”. An Indian Patent Agent has the necessary qualification to represent client’s invention before the Indian Patent Office. The Register of Patent Agents containing the names and addresses of all the registered patent agents is available at: www.ipindia.nic.in Q2. What is the job profile of patent agent? Ans. A patent agent can draft a patent specification for an invention in conformance with the Indian Patent Act and can also file a patent application for any invention. Post filing, he can also prosecute the patent application by responding to examination reports issued by the patent office and attend hearings in the patent office, if required. Furthermore, he will address a client various statutory requirement set forth by the Indian Patent Office. Q3. At present, what is the scope of career being a Patent agent? Ans. Nowadays, every life science background company (whether pharmaceutical or biotechnological), big enterprises or small and medium enterprises have their own IPR department because they all look for various ways in order to protect their IP assets such as their ideas, concepts, trademarks or products. Today’s Patent Trend is such that all these companies require a new group of highly specialized experts such as intellectual property (“IP”) lawyers, patent agents and attorneys who can solve this purpose of the companies. This is because in today’s competitive world intangible assets i.e. Intellectual property rights contribute immensely in the development of a corporation. Q4. Do I require a law degree to become Patent Agent? Ans. To practice as a Registered Patent Agent in India, all you need to do is simply qualify the patent agent exam that government conducts almost every year and there is absolutely no requirement for a law degree for the same. Q5. Do I have to become a lawyer to practice on my own or otherwise? Ans. No, there is absolutely no need to become a Lawyer to practice as a patent agent in India. Once you qualify the exam, you can work in any company requiring patent agents and also start your own consultancy firm. Q6. Being a Research Associate and from R&D background, can i consider Patent Agent as my Career Option. Ans. Patent Agents are employed in most of the Corporates having R & D background to check the inventions developed, infringement activities of their routine procedures etc. Most of the MNCs/corporate prefer the R&D employees with certified Patent Agent qualifications for examining patentability of inventions, filing procedures, drafting specifications etc. as a part of their R&D job. 2 www.iipta.com A Must Read Guide For Patent Agent Examination Q7. How is the career in patent compared to Research in Biotechnology? Ans. There are almost 2100 Patent Agents in India as I’m writing and there are Lakhs of biotech researchers. Every good company today has funds for the research and also the manpower availability due to presence of thousands of biotech colleges in India. What they lack in is IPR facilitating their research and also the protection and monetization of the IPR they are creating. There you go. Patent and IPR knowledge highly increases your chances of getting a much better job than a general biotech researcher. If you are already working, being a registered patent agent will definitely on your assessment chart of your next promotion and salary increment. Apart from this you also have a choice of working as an executive when you are a patent professional as compared to 24 hour lab and microscope environment for the biotech researchers. Q8. Does it mean that my science knowledge will not be utilized in this profession? Ans. Again, minimum and compulsory qualification for even appearing in the Patent Agent Exam is - Science Graduation, therefore, knowledge of science is must and will always be utilized in patent works. Also, there is a list of things a Patent Agent is responsible for and they are not possible without any scientific knowledge. Q9. How can I become a Registered Patent Agent? Ans. Indian Patent Office (Controller General of Patents) conducts a qualifying examination for patent agent registration yearly (earlier, it was twice a year). After qualifying this examination, one can become a Registered Indian Patent Agent. Since, it is a government exam; you will get a certificate from the government and a registered patent agent number soon after clearing the exam. Q10. Does it mean that i will have to change my location to a place where patent office is located after becoming a patent agent? Ans. No, change of location is not required. It is called Indian Patent Agent and not something like Delhi Patent Agent or Mumbai Patent Agent. You are allowed to practice your patent profession anywhere or just utilize the knowledge in your present job of course of study. This certificate will only increase your knowledge, promotion possibilities and new career option. Q11. In which Industries/Sectors I can work/enter once I become a Registered Patent Agent? Ans. Whatever your profession/specialization is, becoming Patent Agent does not mean that you are changing your field as you would be having a lot of options after becoming a patent agent. You can opt from any of the option/choice that are listed below: • Independently practice Patent Law being consultant to several companies. • Advisors to the Corporates in the matters of IP. • Join the law firms as the Patent Agent / Technology Specialists. • Work as Drafting specialist in the field of expert/ Patent Engineers. www.iipta.com 3 A Must Read Guide For Patent Agent Examination • Join Patent Analytic Companies, LPO / KPO as knowledge specialists, Patent Search & Landscaping experts. • IP Managers in corporates managing Patent Portfolios. • IP specialists in R&D organizations giving day to day reports on Patentability opinions. • Join as IP Coordinators in the academic universities in identifying the inventions developed. • Join as Technology Transfer Manager in research based academic institutes. • Join as academician in Universities and institutes teaching Patent Law. • Join as Patent Examiners / Patent Analysts with the IP Offices. • Pharmaceutical & Chemical Industries. • Biotechnology Companies. • Research based Universities. • Defence services (DRDO, DRDL and other Defence research wings). • Agriculture, Seed & Fertilizer Industries. • IP facilitation centers like TIFAC, GIAN, SRISTI, TNTDPC, NIF, CIIE, RIN, etc. • Legal Outsourcing Companies / Knowledge processing centers. • Law Firms-Corporate Law Firms. • Patent Search organizations. • Govt. institutes like CSIR, CCMB etc., • International bodies, like WIPO and other UN bodies. • Indian Patent Offices. • Law Firms + International Companies. Q12. What is the eligibility criteria for appearing in Patent Agent Exam conducted by Indian Patent Office? Ans. Eligibility criteria to appear in the Indian Patent Agent Exam are simple and as follows: • Minimum 21 years • Indian Nationality • Minimum one science based graduation degree (Either regular or distance learning) in science, engineering or technology from any university established under law in India or possesses such other equivalent qualifications as the Central Government may specify in this behalf – B.Sc., M.Sc., B. Pharma, M. Pharma, B.E, M.E, B.Tech, M.Tech, Ph.D, MBBS etc. • Graduation should be complete. Final year candidates are also eligible as long as they are able to produce final degree, mark sheets etc. within 2 months of declaration of the Patent Agent Exam result they are appearing for. Q13. Is there any benefit of post graduation in patent field (particularly Biotechnology), as the eligibility is only graduation? Ans. As per the government rule, the eligibility criteria for sitting in the Patent Agent Examination is only science graduation. As per our experience, subject matter knowledge always helps in 4 www.iipta.com A Must Read Guide For Patent Agent Examination becoming an expert. If you are a post graduate in your field, you certainly have more in-depth knowledge about the subject. Thus you may help the company / client in better understanding on how to increase the scope of their invention and in-turn do a much better job at Patent Drafting part. Q14. When does the patent agent exam take place? Ans. Since last some years, the exam is being conducted in the mid of January and on weekends. Last year exam took place on 4th and 5th May 2013. The exact date of the next exam can only be intimated when Indian Patent Office issues the notice or announcement for the next exam. Q15. Can you provide the date and link to apply for patent exam, or from where i can get notification of Patent exam 2014? Ans. The notification concerning the examination is published in the official website www. ipindia.nic.in and also in at least one prominent newspaper. To register for alert, you can register your phone number and email id on the site www.iipta.com Patent Agent info and Alert form. Q16. When will the Forms to apply/appear for Patent Agent Exam getting released by Patent Office of India? Ans.