[luau] Interested in Becoming a Patent Agent?

[W. Wayne Liauh]

I received a few private e-mails asking the same questions.  Since this 
does not involve any secret, I guess it's fair to post my brief reply in 
the open forum.

Basically, a patent agent receives an invention disclousure from an 
inventor, interviews the inventor, does a "prior art" search, prepares 
the patent application (which includes a detailed description of the 
invention and a set of "claims") to be filed with the Patent Office, 
files the application, then responds to any questions/rejections 
received from the Patent Office.  Depending on experience and location, 
the pays of patent agents typically range from 50 to 100K.  (For 
comparison, a registered nurse in Honolulu makes between 50 and 70K.)

If you are really interested in invention and doing patent work, perhaps 
a better route is to try to apply for a job as a patent examiner with 
the Patent Office.  Your chance of getting a job with the Patent Office 
should be pretty good if you have a computer science background. 
 However, the pays are pretty low, expecting between 30 and 40K to 
start.  I believe if you work as a patent examiner for four years or 
more, you will be waived from the patent exam.

A number of patent examiners go to George Washington Law School, which 
is located at the same office compound (Crystal Plaza) at night to get 
their law degree.  Patent Office used to pick up the full tuition; there 
are some limitations as to the maximum number of credits the the 
government will reimburse.  If you are a Hawaii resident, of course, you 
automatically become part of our second largest industry--the Hawaii 
congressional delegation.  In this regard, you will really miss 
Representative Mink.  I don't believe anyone who is going to take over 
her place will be as warm as our most beloved Patsy.



W. Wayne Liauh wrote:

> One of the career opportunities that I don't see much publicized on 
> the islands is becoming a Patent Agent.  (If you have a law license 
> then you will be called a patent attorney.)  This is a professional 
> license (probably the only professional license) that will entitle you 
> to practice your profession in all the 50 states plus Puerto Rico and 
> Guam. I have also known quite a few patent attorneys with superb 
> computer knowledge.  For anyone who may be interested, the following 
> info is the first step:
>
> http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/olia/oed/grb0403.pdf
>
> The patent agent exams take place twice a year.  The next exam will be 
> held on April 15, 2003.
>
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