If you’re good at science and want good money, consider a degree in patent law

What is the Patent Law – Intellectual Property Law?

There are four main types of intellectual property: patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. Tea patent The system exists in most industrialized countries and is designed to reward inventors and authors. Patents are granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), where patents are carefully scrutinized and protection is given to those that meet legal standards.

Copyright The protection is governed by federal law and applies to literary, musical, and dramatic works, to name a few. The copyright owner has the exclusive right to reproduce and distribute copies of his work. Limited use of copyrighted work for educational and research purposes is permitted without permission of the copyright owner.

Trademarks It can be a single word, a group of words, or a logo that is used for the sale of goods. A trademark owner can prevent others from using it in the sale of their products. It protects not only the brand owner, but the public as well, and minimizes confusion and buying something that is in fact something else.

Education and required courses

Patent law is a specialized field within the practice of law. To enter this profession, you will need to accomplish a number of things. You will first need to get a college degree. Then you will have to enter and finish law school, as well as pass the bar exam. Once you pass the bar exam, you are licensed to practice law.

If you are thinking of majoring in patent law, you’d better get a college degree in engineering, physics, or natural sciences like chemistry and biochemistry. To be successful in this profession, it is imperative to have a general knowledge, an understanding, and a taste for science.

Bachelor’s programs in patent law cover courses such as intellectual property, copyright, patent law and policy, trademark law and unfair competition, antitrust, bioethics, genetics and law, international intellectual property, international commercial law, and application writing. patent. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it does give you an idea of ​​the curriculum and skills targeted and developed within this profession.

Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Patent Law

Patent attorneys work in a variety of settings, from corporations and law firms to universities and government agencies. On corporations, I would work as an in-house attorney. He would have experience in the technology of his corporations and his main task would be driven by the business of the corporation. On law firms, it would have a wide variety of clients and would practice patent law in a wide spectrum of technologies. TO universities you could work as a law professor. In these types of positions, you would not only teach, but would have time to research and write articles and presentations on intellectual property law. Tea federal government employs a large number of patent attorneys. In this role, he would represent the government and litigate on behalf of government agencies.

A day in the life of a patent attorney

Patent attorneys spend most of their time obtaining and licensing patents. Obtaining a patent begins when the inventor describes his invention to the lawyer. Then you would have to evaluate your customer’s description and think about its usefulness, novelty, and obviousness of invention. Your job at this stage is to assess whether your client’s idea can be labeled as a valuable patent and whether a patent application should be filed. To carry out this task successfully, you will need to have a strong command of the law, but also of the technical field involved.

Let’s say a decision is based on applying for a patent. So your job is to draft a patent application and file it with the USPTO. The application is quite elaborate and includes a detailed description of the patent, how it is made and how it will be used. An important part of the application defines the inventor’s patent rights. Once submitted, the application is assigned to an examiner. As a patent attorney, you would be the primary contact person for the examiner and would need to spend many hours in correspondents in order to obtain a favorable final action for your client.

If the patent application is not approved, you will be responsible for filing the decision appeals with the USPTO Board of Appeals or even the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. However, if the patent application is approved, it will develop and investigate the licensing and filing of corresponding patent applications in other countries.

Patent Attorney Salary: How Much Could You Earn?

If you like what you’ve read about patent law so far, you’re going to love what comes next! According to PayScale.com, in 2005 the median salary for a patent attorney was $ 115,000. The American Intellectual Property Law Association reports average salary is higher $ 180,000. If this surprises you, it shouldn’t. Keep in mind that you must have a strong science or engineering background to become a patent attorney. Due to the high demand for education, this specialization of law is more in demand than other areas of legal practice. As a result, the employees are tall.