Technical competence is required.
In order to obtain a patent, the applicants and their attorneys must be competent in the field of innovations, for example, in future-oriented areas such as biotechnology, genetic engineering, software, electronics, vehicle construction and mechanical engineering or medical technology.
In order to do justice to this demanding task, patent attorneys have to complete the longest training in Germany and Europe. The 2,600 approx. male and female patent attorneys in Germany are qualified engineers or scientists with university degrees, practical experience in the industry as well as a legal education lasting at least three years.
Thus patent attorneys are equally at home in the relevant field of law as in that of science and technology. This combination permits the patent experts to act as company advisers, to evaluate innovations and to protect against imitators. They can also give critical advice for the successful use for an invention or point out market niches, trends and new developments.
Patent attorneys are also trade mark and design experts.
Patent attorneys do not just know about technical patents, they are also trade mark specialists because they have completed the relevant training and have passed a State examination in trade mark law. The major advantage in this field: just one trade mark registration can provide protection throughout the EU.
Thus patent attorneys can comprehensively advise and represent their clients, not only with inventions but also with trade marks, design registrations and know-how or in drawing up licence agreements as well as assist in infringement disputes in court – and thereby set the course today for the future success of an innovation.
Also part of the work involved for patent attorneys is research on existing industrial property rights and applications including, inter alia, the lesser known protection of plant varieties and topographies of semiconductor products. Some fundamental information on the individual types of industrial property rights is available via the corresponding references.
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