Chapter 13 - Patent Law Careers: Protecting the Intellectual Property of Science

Abstract

A patent is a legal instrument granting the owner the right to make, use, or sell an invention and to exclude others from doing so. In the United States, an inventor is entitled to a patent if an invention is novel, useful, and unobvious. This chapter provides a synopsis of Patent Law Careers as explained by Alexandra J. Baran, Ph.D., President, A.J. Baran Consulting, Inc. The term “patent practitioner” encompasses both patent attorneys and patent agents. All practitioners must pass a federal bar exam administered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) before being permitted to represent clients in their quest to obtain patents. Like attorneys, registered patent agents are legal professionals and are required to adhere to strict standards of professional conduct and canons of ethics. A. J. Baran emphasizes that if one happens to be a patent practitioner whose practice comprises mostly direct patent prosecution, a typical day is spent writing applications and preparing responses to PTO examiners. The profession demands one to have analytical abilities, including logical thought, pattern recognition, and classification ability; organizational skills are also important.