PATENT LAW!!! plz help!!

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>ok im very interested, but yet confused with patent law</p>

<p>so u need to get a degree in engineering/science first, right? and that would take 4 years of college. I like the idea of getting an engineering degree, because i was already thinking of getting into engineering.</p>

<p>so once i get my degree in lets say either computer engineering or packaging engineering, then i could go to a college that offers a "patent law" degree, my favorite one in the top 3 would be DePaul University. </p>

<p>so would i go to DePaul for say how many years???</p>

<p>and i need advice, is this career worth getting into, i know my uncle sort of does this same work, and he has his own firm, HE MAKES HUGE MONEY!!! he drives around a white porsche 911! nice!</p>

<p>but yeah, please just give me any info anyone can! </p>

<p>thank you all so much!</p>

2

<p>the thing driving you towards becoming a patent lawyer shouldnt be the fact that your uncle “MAKES HUGE MONEY.”<br>
but anyway, to become a patent lawyer: yes, it is almost necessary to have an engineering degree. some patent lawyers even have graduate degrees in engineering. the most common are in chemical, electrical, mechanical.
after the engineering degree, if accepted, you’d go to law school. law school takes three years.<br>
if you wanna make the HUGE MONEY like your uncle, you’d either have to work for a Big Law Firm or start your own firm. To work for a Big Law Firm, you’d have to go to a T14 law school (top 14 law school), but the higher the rank, the better. At these firms, your starting salary would be in the six figures. If you’d like to start your own firm, get ready for some rough years. People who take this route don’t make enough to live on their own and usually depend on others for getting them through the first few years. After they build up their client list and become larger, then they begin reaping the benefits.</p>

3

<p>Did you talk to your uncle about this? What does he say? I’d think he would have the first-hand information.</p>

4

<p>Also I think that you have to pass an exam in order to be allowed to submit patent applications to the …U.S. Patent Office? I forget what the exam is called, but you can probably search for it on google.</p>

5

<p>I think you should worry about passing calc 1 before you worry about making “huge money” as a patent attorney. Not to be mean or anything but you don’t even know if you like engineering yet. Many people can’t make it through engineering let alone law school. There is nothing wrong with planning ahead but I would take first things first. </p>

<p>Also, I wouldn’t recommend doing anything for the money. If you do patent law with aspirations of making tons of money, you might be disappointed. If your uncle owns his own firm, then he is likely an exception, not the norm. It probably took years of hard work for him to get there. You can be successful at any number of things and financial rewards will follow. The key is enjoying it.</p>

6

<p>alright, hey thanks guys for the info, ill definetely take it all into consideration!</p>

<p>sorry about the “MAKES HUGE MONEY” part, i was sort of exaggerating, but i think im interested in the whole field even outside of the money, ill have to think… thanks!</p>

7

<p>Go into college with an open mind, with vague focus on the direction you want to go. Don’t think that you’re going to want to be a patent attorney 4 years from now.</p>

<p>

Nah, anyone can APPLY for a patent.</p>

8

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<p>Yes, sorry, that’s true. I haven’t looked at this stuff for over a year, so I forgot what I originally read. Anyone can apply for a patent, but the application has a very high chance of being rejected if you haven’t consulted a patent agent or attorney first, and <em>those</em> people have to take the exam.</p>

9

<p>wait, “don’t think im going to want to be a patent attorney 4 years from now?”</p>

<p>hmmmm, so is that just a strategy to keep a vague focus? </p>

<p>also, i did some research, and i was thinking SD school of mines offers a very good chemical engineering program, many grads even go into patent law, so i could go get the engineering part done there, then do law school at DePaul?</p>

<p>how’s that for a plan? and can anyone tell me if this is the right path for me? (i know thats a VERY difficult question, but any advice would really help)</p>

<p>thanks again guys!</p>

10

<p>Yes, just keep a vague focus in the direction you think you want to go in.</p>

<p>

Honestly, I don’t think this is the right path. You said you want HUGE MONEY like your uncle. Even if this was exaggerated, I doubt you have any real passion for patents or even engineering. You may find that you hate it when it is too late. However, I really don’t know you, so think about what I said and judge if its true. If not, go ahead with that.</p>

11

<p>Never allow yourself to be blinded by the prospects of wealth.</p>

12

<p>yes, the wealth gets u, but no, engineering i am very interested in!</p>

<p>if i like it better, should i go with engineering regardless of the smaller pay?</p>

13

<p>Yes. Engineer is an excellent career with great oppurtunities. But you will need to have an interest in Physics, Math and problem solving.</p>

14

<p>Actually I would try to sharpen your focus as much as possible and do everything you can to land yourself a job that pays a middle class salary. </p>

<p>Otherwise you might end up taking way too long to get to the point where you can feed yourself and your family.</p>

15

<p>What’s important to you? Money, prestige, enjoying what you do? </p>

<p>I know of a student who graduated last year with a degree in chemical engineering. She is working in the oil business and started at $86,000 per year! She HATES her job. For me, life is too short to spend that much of my life doing something I don’t enjoy. But, priorities are different for each of us.</p>

<p>I would talk to your uncle and get a little bit more information from him. Ask him about the positives and negatives of his job. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

16

<p>yes, thanks!</p>

<p>well i, and im sure others are the same here, would like all 3! (money, prestige, and enjoy what im doing) haha, but im sure that doesn’t come along too easy, and it takes a person who is really meant for a job that is all 3!</p>

<p>now im a clean-cut guy, i stay out of trouble, and heck, im probably one of the youngest on the forums, me just going into 10th grade and all!</p>

<p>my father is an engineer, mechanical to be specific, and i use him as a HUGE rolemodel, as most sons do! to give a small background, he grew up in a huge family, and because of that, his parents never stressed AMAZING grades, as a matter of fact, they didn’t even really stress grades at all! my dad ended up doing really bad his 9th grade and part of his 10th grade year, but then he started understanding things and got nothing but A’s and B’s his 11th-12th years, but because of his bad transition from schools (they moved A LOT during his childhood) his grades suffered, and he was only able to get into southern Colorado State University in Pueblo Colorado.</p>

<p>he regrets getting bad grades, but he works hard, and he got a masters at Regis, which is a big college apparently. So he makes a very nice living actually, doing what he loves, and surprisingly, we live in the Doctor’s neighborhood! haha, so i think that goes to show you know?</p>

<p><strong>well wat i find important, well, i would REALLY like prestige, and i just don’t know if engineering is all that prestigious, and well, most careers that are PRESTIGIOUS are ones that make HUGE $$$, or in otherwords, im only interested in them for the money. again.</strong></p>

<p>i have a harder time thinking that one day in the future, i know its a while off, but when im at the table with my future-wife and her parents, will the “parents” respect an engineer?</p>

<p>idk, that’s off topic, but im really lost with careers here, plz help!</p>

<p>thanks</p>

17

<p>I am an engineer by training (MIT) who decided later in life to become a patent attorney. Over the years, I had started a number of technology companies, enjoyed the creative part and filed several patents for my own inventions. I got bored running companies and felt I could leverage my entrepreneurial background by helping other small technology companies with their own patent needs. Now I run my own law firm and hire other patent lawyers and agents, specialized in areas such as nanotechnology and medical devices. </p>

<p>Becoming a patent attorney (or patent agent) can be an exciting career for an engineer or scientist. But it is not for everybody and is a fairly lengthy process. Becoming a patent agent is much easier. You can also become Patent Examiner and work for the US Patent Office. Right now, the USPTO is recruiting a boatload of Examiners often straight out of college. They typically make around $75,000 starting salaries. (You still need to take the Patent bar). </p>

<p>If you are interested in becoming a patent attorney you need to do the following:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Obtain a Bachelor’s degree in a field of technology recognized by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). A complete list of educational options can be found in the PDF file entitled the USPTO General Requirements For Taking The Patent Bar. Here is a link:
<a href=“http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/olia/oed/grb.pdf[/url]”>http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/olia/oed/grb.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
<li><p>Next, you need to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and get a law degree and pass your state bar. This takes a minimum of three years if you are a full time law student. Some law schools have evening programs for professionals who already work full time. These programs generally 4 years. Many patent lawyers take that route and some employers will pay for law school. You must be licensed to practice law to become a patent attorney. There is no such thing as just studying “patent law”. You have to become a lawyer, period. Some law schools offer intellectual property programs with some introductory patent law classes and clinics where you can actually work with small companies, generally handling copyrights and trademarks (rarely patents).<br>
Six law schools have a special pilot program with the USPTO where they can prepare and file actual patents. They include:
-AU, Washington College of Law;
-University of Connecticut School of Law;
-University of Maine School of Law;
-William Mitchell College of Law;
-The John Marshall Law School; and
-Vanderbilt Law School
Also, try to get an internship with a patent law firm during the summers. If they like you they will generally offer you a job when you graduate. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>3.A recognized Bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent will make you a category A applicant for the patent bar. A few examples of what you will find under category A are degrees in biology, computer science, electronics technology, chemistry, pharmacology, physics, and numerous engineering degrees. Check the PDF file for the complete list.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>You can apply as a category B or C applicant if you have a degree in a different subject. The USPTO gives you many options for a Bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent combined with course credits, alternative training, life experiences, military service traing, graduate degrees, and other conditions. Check the PDF file for the complete list of options under category B or C.</p></li>
<li><p>B and C applicants should allow for a longer time for their applications to be processed. You will be judged on a case by case basis and you will need greater documentation to prove that you are skilled in technology.</p></li>
<li><p>A patent agent does not need a law degree. Both USPTO registered attorneys and agents can prepare, file, and prosecute patent applications. As rule of thumb, a patent attorney can charge twice as much as a patent agent sometimes much more.</p></li>
<li><p>Only patent attorneys can help clients with issues such as patent validity, infringement cases, and all patent litigation. Only patent attorneys can prepare, file, and prosecute trademarks and service marks applications. Patent litigators are often the highest paid as judgments and settlements from patent infringement lawsuits can run into many millions of dollars. </p></li>
<li><p>Study for your Patent Bar Exam and review previous patent bar exams online. The pass rate is around 50%. You will need to memorize hundreds of rules. </p></li>
<li><p>After you have taken the Patent Bar Exam you still know very little about actually preparing and prosecuting patents. You will need to acquire experience by working for an established law firm with a patent practice. Many law firms only handle patent work as it is highly specialized. It will probably take you three to five years of on the job training before you become any good at patent prosecution. You will often end specializing in particular field such a mechanical, electrical, software or chemical patents. Patent litigation is much more complex but also more lucrative. A patent infringement suit can drag on for many years. </p></li>
<li><p>After you have jumped through all these hoops and have gained some experience you can often open your own patent law firm and build your client base. It definitely beats working for a big law firm if you are any good. I opened my own law firm the day after I passed the state bar exam and even before I had passed the patent bar, but that is highly unusual. I already had many contacts in industry from my past activities who trusted me and I hired other patent agents who were already registered to file patents. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>The best thing about patent (and intellectual property in general) work is that you get involved with all types of exciting new products and technologies. You also have generally better control over your hours of work and where you work from. (I generally work out of my house). I don’t bill by the hour unlike most other firms but develop long term relationships with the clients and charge them a flat monthly fee. Sometimes I also get paid in stock which can be nice if you believe the company will be successful. While many other fields of law are struggling, I don’t see patent law having problems over the next few decades. There are just not that many lawyers with a technology background. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

18

<p>Is industrial engineering a good major for patent law even though it’s less physical?</p>

19

<p>THANKS SOOOO MUCH!! </p>

<p>man, that’s great info, VERY good explanation.</p>

<p>I like the sound of patent law, but i think just plain engineering is calling my name more. It seems like too much of a gamble to do it right away with my interest mainly focusing on extra money than the fact that i still have to go to court and argue, which i dont think i’d like at all.</p>

<p>if i do decide later on, i can always do ur plan and take night classes to become a lawyer, i have plenty of time to think about this stuff though, just wanted an idea, so once again, THANKS!!</p>

20

<p>Well, you don’t have to litigate if you are a patent attorney. It’s just more lucrative. But you should probably get your engineering degree first and see how you feel before deciding on patent law. I mean, you have not even finished high school yet.</p>