In the context of China's accession to the WTO and increasingly fierce corporate competition, owning patents can not only help companies gain profits and enhance core competitiveness, but also provide corresponding solutions when they are attacked by competitors. means of defense. According to statistics, 75% of patent applications in my country are completed through agents. As the protection of intellectual property rights increases, China needs more and more patent agents. As an emerging profession, patent agents play an important "bridge" role in the process of high-tech industrialization and have become an increasingly popular profession.

Career introduction: Patent agents are professionals who have been assessed by the State Intellectual Property Office and work in patent agencies approved by the state. They are engaged in patent agency applications, intellectual property affairs consulting and other related businesses. The responsibilities of a patent attorney include writing applications for inventors, responding to and correcting the opinions of patent office examiners, and helping inventors deal with court proceedings when encountering disputes. If a foreign-related patent agent is involved, the patent agent will also need to translate the foreign language materials into Chinese and modify them in accordance with the patent law.

Since the intellectual property field involves more exposure to high technology and high-tech projects, having a good science and engineering background that is consistent with the agency field can better understand this technology or For products, the Patent Office of the State Intellectual Property Office requires a science and engineering degree to apply for a patent examiner. In addition, patent attorneys are also required to have high language skills, including the ability to control Chinese and English. The official language for patent applications in my country is Chinese, and patent agents need to have a certain foundation in understanding and using Chinese. In addition, since many agents need to contact foreign customers, and foreign customers speak different languages ??such as English, German, and Korean, English is a must for agents engaged in foreign-related business. If you can also master a second minor language Even better.

A good patent agent can not only represent patent cases, but also have the ability to conduct market operations on patents. They must also have considerable social experience and social relationships. Therefore, a patent agent is a combination of patent legal knowledge and Comprehensive talents who integrate patented technical knowledge require high comprehensive quality. Those who engage in this profession abroad must first have lawyer qualifications before they can apply for the patent agent qualification certificate.

Current situation and prospects From a national perspective, among the existing 7.8 million large and small enterprises, only more than 2,000 have independent intellectual property rights. 99% of enterprises have not applied for patents, and as many as 60% Domestic companies don’t even have their own trademarks. A media survey of two national high-tech zones in Chengdu and Mianyang showed that 80% of local companies do not have a trained patent staff.

The competition for intellectual property talents between Chinese and foreign companies has also begun to heat up, and the role of intellectual property talents in enterprises is becoming more and more important. On the one hand, some important patent applications of an enterprise need to be completed in a timely manner through a patent agent. On the other hand, when an enterprise discovers a patent that poses a major threat to itself during competition, or when a competing enterprise files a patent lawsuit against the enterprise, a patent attorney is needed. to protect the rights and interests of the company. Some companies that have suffered from the pain of intellectual property rights have begun to introduce a considerable number of intellectual property talents in recent years. The intellectual property departments of multinational companies such as Siemens, IBM, Intel, and Microsoft often have hundreds of people, and Sony has more than 400 intellectual property professionals.

Most business leaders said that they are not unaware of the importance of intellectual property to future development, but they just suffer from not understanding production technology, being proficient in laws and regulations, and being competent in intellectual property work planning, litigation, and management. of professional talents. As the main base for cultivating intellectual property talents, colleges and universities have a talent training model that is out of touch with the actual needs of society. They focus on the study of intellectual property legal theory and are relatively lacking in practical training. The "Eleventh Five-Year Plan for Intellectual Property Talents" issued by the State Intellectual Property Office points out that the quantity, structure, quality and ability of my country's intellectual property professionals cannot meet the needs of economic and social development. There is a serious shortage of high-level compound talents.

Patent agent is one of the highest-paid professions in the West. The average annual income of a patent agent in Germany is about 100,000 marks and about 500,000 yuan.

Patent application fees in my country are ten times lower than abroad. The agency fee for an invention patent in the United States is about 5,000 US dollars, while in my country it is only a few thousand RMB. The salary of domestic patent agents has not yet reached the level abroad. Patent agents are paid on a piece-rate basis, and their income is directly related to the number of cases they accept. The annual salary ranges from about 60,000 yuan to as high as 200,000 yuan. As people pay more attention to intellectual property rights after joining the WTO, patent agency affairs will also be in line with international standards. There is huge potential for the salary and benefits of patent agents to increase. Among them, agents with rich agency experience, stable customer channels, and in-demand professional fields earn considerable income.

Judging from the recruitment requirements of various companies, patent agents are similar to lawyers in that they only accept experienced talents. It is difficult to enter the industry and the threshold is very high. Generally speaking, you first need to pass the patent agent qualification examination, and then enter a relevant company as an intern for one year. Only after becoming a formal employee of the patent agency company can you obtain an agent practicing certificate. Young people who have just entered the industry generally have to work hard for 3-5 years. After a long period of study and practice, they can be promoted from assistant to qualified patent agent.

With the rapid development of China's economy, the number of patent applications will continue to grow. In order to adapt to the increase in the number of patent applications, the Patent Office of the State Intellectual Property Office has continued to expand its examination team. In 2003, it hired 263 people and planned to hire 233 people in 2004. From 2005 to 2010, the number of people planned to be hired every year is expected to be no less than 300. Since 2006, the State Intellectual Property Office has adjusted the exam from once every two years to once a year, and more and more people are applying for the patent agent exam. Professor Zheng Shengli from the School of Intellectual Property of Peking University said that by 2010, the total demand for intellectual property talents in my country is expected to be 55,000 to 60,000, including more than 1,000 high-level intellectual property professionals; by 2020, my country's intellectual property professional talents will be It is expected that there will be an additional 25,000 to 30,000 people, including 3,000 high-level professionals.

Intellectual property rights are a booming cause in our country. In the chain of intellectual property work, whether it is the creation and management of intellectual property, or the transformation and application of intellectual property achievements, and market protection, there is an urgent need for professional talent input. As all walks of life attach great importance to intellectual property rights, relevant institutions are becoming increasingly complete, work areas are broadening, business content is becoming more refined, work fronts are lengthening, and workloads are expanding rapidly. The demand for professional talents will become increasingly urgent. Patent Agents will become a hot new generation of "golden collars" and one of the most popular professions with the greatest development potential in Chinese society.

Patent agent (the "Patent Agency Regulations (Revised Draft for Review)" promulgated by the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council on February 11, 2011 changed the title of "patent agent" to "patent agent") is Refers to a person who has obtained a patent agent qualification certificate, holds a patent agent practicing certificate, and is engaged in patent agency work full-time in a patent agency.