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NOTE TO MODERATOR: I had some incorrect and incomplete information in
the original post (which has still not made it to the newsgroup).
Please disregard that post, and post this one instead. (And you can
probably get rid of this note in the process.) Thank you!
===================
Recently I posted some questions about going to law school to become a
patent attorney (in the United States of America). In recent
conversations with a patent attorney, I came across what may be a new
option, or an interim option: Patent Agent. I have a few questions
about this, and, once again, I hope the friendly folks on this
newsgroup can help me out.
I have a B.A., which includes over 40 credits of undergraduate work in
physics, which apparently is enough to qualify me to take the patent
bar exam. My understanding is that if I pass this exam, then, even
without having a law degree, I become certified or licensed as a
patent agent. My questions (again, all relating to U.S. careers) are:
1. Are there any other qualifications or requirements to become a
patent agent?
2. Supposing I sought hourly work, what is the reasonable pay
expectation for a patent examiner? Currently, as a technical writer,
the top fee I can realistically hope to bill is well below $100/hour.
(I would post the exact amount, but under American law, we're actually
not supposed to do that -- it violates non-competition laws. Trust
me, though, it's *well* below $100.) Do patent agents get over
$100/hour?
3. I did a very quick search on Monster.com and
WashingtonPostJobs.com for jobs for patent agents. Only a handful of
jobs showed up. Are there significant numbers of jobs for patent
agents outside the government (outside the U.S. Patent Office)? And
if so, are they typically advertised outside the normal outlets for
job ads? (It's my understanding that jobs for attorneys are typically
not advertised in the regular want ads or job boards, but rather in
specialized venues for attorneys. I'm wondering if the same thing
happens for patent agents, that there are specialized outlets that
advertise those jobs?)
4. I did a Google on "patent agent", and of course came up with
26,500 links. The problem, as always, is knowing which ones are worth
following. Can anyone direct me to pertinent sites for information on
the career of patent agent?
5. Is there an organization which offers review books and courses for
the Patent Bar exam?
Thanks in advance for all replies.
Steve O.
Steven AATT Domain DDOOTT com
To send an e-mail, substitute @ for AATT, a . for DDOOTT, and OpComm for Domain
Standard Antiflame Disclaimer: Please don't flame me. I may actually *be* an
idiot, but even idiots have feelings.
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