Taiwan’s First Group of Licensed Patent Attorneys Received Certificates from the TIPO on 24 October.　Preparatory Team for Establishing Patent Attorneys Association Will Undertake on November.

　A new milestone has been reached in Taiwan patent representation with the Taiwan’s first group of licensed patent attorneys obtaining patent attorney certificates issued by the TIPO on 24 October 2008.

　According to the provisions of the Patent Attorney Act, a person may obtain a license to practice as a patent attorney in Taiwan either by passing the Patent Attorney Eligibility Examination or by applying for an exemption to the exam and successfully completing a professional training course instead.  Each one of the 47 new patent attorneys was a previously licensed patent agent who had successfully completed the professional course before obtaining certificate.  The TIPO launched the first training program organized for the professional course from 15 August to 20 September.  Fifty candidates attended the first training program lasted 60 hours.  According to the TIPO’s statistics, there are about 300 professionals across Taiwan who are qualified for examination waivers.  They will need to attend professional training programs in six terms within three years.

　Pursuant to the Patent Attorney Act, before the establishment of patent attorneys association, for those who have obtained patent attorney certificates can practice without meeting the requirement of joining the patent attorneys association.  Under the TIPO guidelines for establishing patent attorney association, the association will be organized after soliciting members from the group of successful participants (the name list will be published in November 2008) for the first state-held examination for the qualification of patent attorneys to join the association.  Measures of pre-qualification training courses and for handling disciplinary matters for patent attorneys will be established by the TIPO for better establishment of the management of licensed patent attorney, in particular Patent Attorney Disciplinary Committee will be established.  (2008.10)