A patent is granted by a state for a fixed period of time in exchange for the disclosure of an invention. Different countries have different laws regarding the granting of patents, and various international agreements also have an effect on the granting of patents. A patent application contains one or more claims describing the invention, which must be new, innovative, and useful. Once someone has a patent, he or she has exclusive rights over the manufacturing, sale, and distribution of the invention.
A related concept is the trademark. A trademark is a mark used by a merchant or manufacturer. It identifies ownership or origin of goods. A copyright guarantees the creator of original musical, literary, dramatic, artistic, or architectural work exclusive rights to publish, sell, or reproduce their creation. Patent paralegals must know about all of the ways that intellectual property is protected.
Legal jobs involving patents, trademarks, and copyrights include research about patents and the drafting of patent applications. A patent paralegal may perform litigation research in the event of intellectual property lawsuits. Of all of the areas in which paralegals work, patent paralegals are in the highest demand, have the most specialized skills, and are the highest paid among paralegals.
A patent paralegal handles the administrative work involved in the process of patenting inventions. He or she may perform research on patents, help draft patent applications, research the legitimacy of patent claims, and correspond frequently with the U.S. Patent Office. It is a career that demands intelligence, good organizational skills, and initiative. Patent paralegals have a lot of daily responsibilities, but with that responsibility you receive a larger paycheck than with other paralegal specialties.
Patent paralegals work for many different types of employers: small law firms, large law firms, patent agents, directly for inventors, for corporations, or universities.
Most patent paralegals working in legal jobs hold an associate's degree from a community college or a bachelor's degree. In addition, some patent paralegals have certificates or diplomas from paralegal training programs. Though there isn't a required paralegal course in patent law certification, experience or an internship in this specialty is highly desirable before applying for legal jobs as a patent paralegal because of the complexity of the field of patent law.
To begin, becoming a paralegal usually involves earning a two year associate's degree, though there are also bachelor's degree programs with paralegal certification. Good paralegals are always in high demand, so even without specialization in patent law, paralegals have positive career outlooks. Paralegal programs are starting to add courses specializing in patent law, and any aspiring patent paralegal should take these classes. Paralegals can apprentice with a patent attorney as well.
There isn't a special license or certification needed for patent paralegals to obtain legal jobs in the IP field. Some paralegals, however, obtain special credentials through the American Alliance of Certified Paralegals, the National Association of Legal Assistants, or the National Federation of Paralegals Association.
The demand for paralegals in general is expected to increase by over 20% over the next 20 years. This means 53,000 new legal jobs for paralegals. Patent law is one of the fastest growing specialties. This is partly due to the new intellectual property situations that have arisen from the widespread use of the internet. Qualified patent paralegals can earn up to 50% more than a typical paralegal. If you are currently in a paralegal program, pursuing a patent specialty can be a great move.
Traditional paralegals usually earn around $25,000 to begin, and paralegals with plenty of experience can earn $60,000 per year. Patent paralegals usually start around $35,000, and can command salaries of $70,000 or more per year. Paralegals that specialize in patent law can expect to find legal jobs fairly easily. It is one sector of the economy that is growing despite the worldwide economic downturn of 2008.
- See Top 10 Reasons Most Law Firms Have No Idea How to Hire and Evaluate Patent Attorneys for more information.
