Benefits of registration

Registering as a patent attorney lets you enter a profession of trusted IP experts with high ethical standards.

What is a patent attorney?

Patent attorneys are experts who combine understanding of science and technology with in-depth knowledge of intellectual property. They:

• Are experts in intellectual property law

• Prepare applications for patents and other IP rights

• Are the only people who can professionally draft patent specifications

• Help clients maximise the value of their intellectual property to grow businesses.

As trusted advisers held to high professional standards, they are:

• Required to keep up to date with developments in a field that is constantly evolving

• Bound by strict ethical standards set out in a comprehensive code of conduct.

Patent attorneys are not necessarily lawyers, although many people combine both qualifications.

Right to title

Registered patent attorneys are the only people who can use the title or suggest they are:

• A patent attorney

• An agent for obtaining patents.

Having the title shows clients you are an IP expert who can be trusted to provide quality patent service.

Right to practise

Registered patent attorneys can fully operate under the New Zealand Patent Act and the Australian Patent and Trade Marks Acts. Patent attorneys can:

• Applying for or obtaining patents in Australia or anywhere else;
• Prepare specifications or documents for the purpose of the Patents Act 1990 or patent law of another country;
• Giving advice (other than advice of a scientific or technical nature) about the validity, or infringement, of patents.

Patent attorneys are the only people who can draft patent specifications in Australia and New Zealand. Legal practitioners can’t, unless they are supervised by a patent attorney or directed by a court.

Registering as a patent attorney doesn't allow you to:

• Prepare documents to be issued from or filed in courts
• Transact business or conduct proceedings in a court.

Other benefits

Privileged communications

Communications, records or documents related to a client's intellectual property advice are privileged in the same way a lawyer provides legal advice to a client.

Lien

Registered patent attorneys have the same right of lien over documents and property of clients as a solicitor.

Professional membership

Patent attorneys are a recognised profession in Australia and New Zealand. The profession is supported by us and we maintain the standards for entry and the standards of professional conduct.

You can also join professional organisations such as the Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia (IPTA), or the New Zealand Intellectual Property Attorneys Incorporated (NZIPA) which provide members with useful information, professional development and networking opportunities.