Intellectual properties refer to any creative work an individual does is his own idea; they want the work to be recognized as theirs and want the sole rights to it. For example, it could be music, they have written, or movies they have made. In this case, the individual will seek to achieve an intellectual property patent.
When an individual has such an item he wants to protect as his own, he will register this item and obtain an intellectual property patent. When the phrase intellectual property is referred to, it is referring to the legal rights and not the actual piece of work itself.
The intellectual property laws are very strict, mainly because a large majority of the economy is based around tangible assets. This is one of the main reasons for lawyer associates to be in such demand in this area. There is a definite need, and as the economy grows, so does that need.
Often when there is more than one person having interest in intellectual property right, there is the risk of intellectual property issues. The law pertaining to intellectual law can be very complex and really does involve intense study by the prospective intellectual property associate.
As there are so many intellectual properties surfacing everyday, it is common to see constant job ads to fill the roll of intellectual property associates. A good example of this type of job requirement would be as follows:
A research company has made some astounding discoveries and wants to protect their research as being their ideas. The company primarily deals in engineer and computer science technologies. They require full time services of an intellectual property associate to look after their intellectual property rights.
The Intellectual Property Associate duties will require him to work closely with the managers and other staff to be able to identify the inventions and then protect these inventions from outside use, or the ideas of such being stolen. Protecting intellectual property by a legal aspect will be the primary duty of the successful applicant. Should there be any legal issues with the patent not being adhered to, the associate will have to assist in prosecution and disclosure.
As we have mentioned, the needs for intellectual property associates is in fair demand. It is such a huge area of law, that it is actually broken down into four major areas within itself.
The first being patents. These are meant to protect the inventions in applied science, for example. They act as an incentive to keep individuals interested in pursuing their ideas and inventions by providing them with intellectual property policy. The patent protects the owner from others taking his invention and making, using or selling it. Intellectual property protection is only allowed to an item that is new and has never been patented before by another person.
The second being copyrights. Much like patents, here we are dealing with items, such as writing of books and music for example. Intellectual property copyright material is protected by law and intellectual property associates represent that law. The copyright begins, when the piece is actually written, or becomes a form of record. The copyright lasts for the lifetime of the producer of the piece plus an additional 50 years.
The third section of an intellectual property right falls under the category of Trademarks. This is usually the identification mark of the intellectual property. For example, a logo that is totally connected to the item that has been patented, or the name of a business, organization or team that has been registered.
Finally, the fourth section that an intellectual property associate may become involved in is trade secrets. This deals with business ideas and methods, and their protection.
An individual seeking employment in any of the areas of intellectual property policy will have many responsibilities. For example, they may be involved in drafting intellectual property agreements, or litigating intellectual property infringement.
Usually the job description will give a fair outline of what the employer is requiring. For example, experience wise they may require two years experience in patent prosecution, domestic filings or foreign filings. They may want a degree in some particular area of the sciences. In respect to law education, they may require copies of the law school transcripts. Usually they will require a candidate to have a standing membership to the Patent Bar.
As we have outlined, there are many sectors to intellectual property protection. An individual interested in a career in this area will really have to define the area of specialty. It takes a fair amount of time, not only to obtain the proper education, but the experience as well that is required to fill one of these many positions.
In addition to all the other agreements, writing skills and the majority of other academic skills must be above average. Job duties in this field are complex and demand a great deal of diligence and dedication.
- See Top 10 Reasons Most Law Firms Have No Idea How to Hire and Evaluate Patent Attorneys for more information.
