This article is written by Anindita Deb, a student of Symbiosis Law School, NOIDA. This article discusses the job opportunities available internationally in the field of Intellectual Property Rights. 

Introduction

Intellectual Property law (IP law) is a field that is rapidly expanding. We’re seeing a trend away from organisations and companies pursuing real assets like land and machines and toward acquiring intellectual assets. India is becoming a centre of intellectual developments such as startups and R&D centres. The goal of intellectual property law is to safeguard and maximise the value of your creative inventions. People are protective of what they have created. It is a natural human tendency for which they require the assistance of another group of individuals. That could be you, aspiring to work in the field of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and curious to know about the opportunities it has to offer. While pursuing a career in IPR in India itself can pay you well, you can also opt for a career in IPR internationally that could pay you a whopping monthly salary of Rs. 1.5-3 lakhs.

Requisites for a career in IPR

The following pointers must be kept in mind by one wishing to pursue a career in the field of IP law:

• Whatever function in this industry you believe you are qualified for, understanding the law and its ramifications should be your top priority. In addition, because IPR is so multidisciplinary, good communication skills are required.
• There is marketing to consider, as well as dealing with various groups in order to comprehend the inventions.
• Different roles necessitate different abilities. When dealing with patents, for example, a basic understanding of science and technology is essential. Students become technology phobic as a result of the multidisciplinary nature of IPR and the fact that a considerable proportion of technology study is required for patents, which are a crucial component of IPR.

International career options in IP law

Following are the job opportunities one can consider while wishing to pursue an international career in IPR:

Patent administrator

Any 5-year or 3-year law graduate with good internship experience in IP law is eligible for this position. Responsibilities of a professional under this job title are as follows:

• Filing patent applications with the Indian Patent Office, the Patent and Trademark Office of the respective country and the World Intellectual Property Office in a timely manner to meet deadlines.
• Maintaining and managing the company’s intellectual property client dockets.
• Interacting successfully with international clients and foreign law firms.
• Develop and streamline internal patent administration tasks and procedures.
• Maintaining and updating client files.
• Preparing forms for filing patent applications and international applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) in India and in the respective country.
• Tracking upcoming deadlines and notifying the team and the clients of upcoming deadlines.
• Following up on the status of applications filed with the patent offices.
• Reviewing documents received from various patent offices, notifying clients of the same, filing responses if necessary, and updating the intellectual property client dockets.
• Preparing Information Disclosure Statements and Certification Statements for references cited in various search reports and filling them with the USPTO.
• Preparing various documents such as Power of attorney, Oath or Declaration and other patent-related forms.

The average salary of a patent administrator is $44,867 in the United States. 

Patent analysts

Potential patent applications are examined by patent analysts. They may also work for companies that are developing new products, assessing prospective products to see if they are patentable. They are in charge of conducting extensive research to see if similar items are now patented or if patents for similar items are seeking approval. They must assure that a patent application will not be challenged in court. Patent analysts frequently work with a large amount of scientific data and must keep up with current trends and research activities. They must deliver their findings to their employer or clients after conducting research for a proposed patent application. They can also assist firms in locating patents that are of interest to them. Companies wishing to develop new products can buy the rights to produce and market their product from patent holders. The average salary of a patent analyst is $69,035 per year. 

Patent and trademark support roles

Attorneys and lawyers aren’t the only ones working in the patent and trademark legal field. There are numerous high-profile support positions available, ranging from a Patent Records Team Leader earning approximately £55,000 to a Temporary Patent Secretary required for an urgent assignment.

IP Manager

Patent and IP Managers are project managers that have extensive technical competence in their field as well as a solid awareness of intellectual property matters. For example, someone with experience in IP and engineering, as well as the ability to manage the legalities and contractual difficulties in the industry, is required for this IP Manager position in engineering. IP managers are required in various companies for international contract negotiation and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). 

The national average salary for an Intellectual Property Manager is $95,160 per year.

Business support roles

There’s a range of opportunities available in the business support industry, including openings for a Legal Administration Assistant, a Trainee Legal Administrator, an Office Administrator, a Junior Billing Assistant, and entry-level Legal Secretary positions.

Media, fashion, and sports

These are the specialised areas of law where intellectual property law is crucial. These industries rely heavily on intellectual property. They not only require a patent, copyright, and trademark registration, but they also generate a significant amount of work in the areas of licencing, franchising, IP assignment, IP prosecution, and IP enforcement around the world.

IP Blogging

The broad scope of intellectual property law makes it possible to write about it in order to educate people. Professionals and students are welcome to participate in these initiatives, which are frequently paid. IP law blogging is an extra something in their work profile, if not a full-time thing, that allows them to build a reputation for themselves while also assisting the general public in understanding IP law. One such example is SpicyIP. It is the world’s third most popular patent blog.

Other international job opportunities in IPR

Besides the ones mentioned above, there are some other job opportunities, or more like “tasks” that you can take up for small companies with new ideas and charge a specific fee per task. Some of the options include:

• You may carry out non-contractual drafting for these companies.
• Filing trademark registrations for new inventions. You can charge a fee of your choice per registration. 
• Working in IPR think tanks is also a well-paid opportunity since IPR is still a relatively new concept. 
• You can also apply to global IP monitoring services. This includes patent, trademark and copyright searches to help your clients come up with the most appropriate patent application. 

Conclusion 

One of the most important advantages of a career in IP law is the opportunity to learn about exciting new breakthroughs in science, technology, and other fields. Intellectual property work can be a particularly intriguing discipline and career to pursue for persons with inquiring minds. 

Working in the field of intellectual property is both challenging and rewarding. It’s something that a lot of recent graduates would be interested in. This is the type of industry where great communication and customer management skills are required in addition to technical and analytical expertise. Despite a fresh set of problems every day, a person feels satisfied at the end of the day. Furthermore, candidates may be able to transition into consultancy roles in the future, as many large organisations now demand seasoned IP professionals.

References 

• https://www.peoplematters.in/article/trhttps://www.wipo.int/erecruitment/en/aining/the-beginners-guide-to-a-career-in-ip-25014
• www.linkedin.com
• Career in Intellectual Property Law: 5 emerging career options and other details
• WIPO Careers

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