A patent attorney deals with obtaining and enforcing intellectual
property rights on behalf of inventors or organisations.
Whilst some patent attorneys concentrate on patent work, many work across the whole
intellectual property field. Intellectual property encompasses patents, industrial
designs, design rights and trade marks. Patent attorneys (also known as patent agents)
work either in large industrial organization, in private firms of patent attorneys,
or in government departments.
A patent is a right granted by the government to inventors (or more usually companies)
in return for disclosure of an invention. In order to secure a patent, a full description
of the invention needs to be filed with the Government Patent Office. Securing a
patent and enforcing the rights it gives is a long and complex process. Patent attorneys
assess whether inventions are really new and innovative and therefore eligible to
be patented. They draft and file applications to secure patents and act to enforce
inventors’ rights if patents are infringed.
|