Patent Agent Strive for Legalization in Public Hearing of the Draft Patent Agent Law.

The Intellectual Property Office held the public hearing of the Draft Patent Agent Law on April 12. Approximately 8,000 patent agents in existence strived for obtaining qualification of patent agent without national exam upon the said draft being passed, and this has beaten the Intellectual Property Office’s brains.

 

Some patent and trademark law firms consider that current patent agents acquired certificates by passing either bar exam or exam of accountant or technician; therefore, based on a matter of dignity, they should continue to practice business without taking another exam after the Draft Patent Agent Law being passed.

 

On the Draft Patent Agent Law drafted by the intellectual property office, patent agent and patent representative adopts two-track system, and thus current patent representatives could still practice relevant business after the Draft Patent Agent Law being passed.

 

Currently, most domestic patent law firms retain patent engineers to write patent applications solely. Although bosses of such law firms have certificates of patent representative, in practice, patent engineers conduct business, and these patent engineers are uncertain to get certificates according to current “management rules of patent representative”. (2005.4)

CYJ/CHA