The path to professional qualification as a patent agent is long and demanding. It takes years of practice before anyone can be adequately prepared for the patent agent qualifying examinations. At times, trainees need more practice than that to which they are exposed in their firms or organisations. Self-study alone is unlikely to lead to success in the exams because they are practice based, and require intensive preparation by doing exercises and by receiving constructive criticism by more experienced agents.
The IP Academy’s Patent Practice Modules aim to provide that additional support to trainees with tutelage from experienced patent agents and practice, practice, practice!
COURSE STRUCTURE
The course comprises 2 modules :-
Module 1: Drafting and Amendments
This module is further broken down into 2 sub-modules. Students will have the flexibility to enrol for Module 1A: Preparation of a Patent Specification and/or Module 1B: Amendment of a Patent Specification.
Module 2: Interpretation, Validity and Infringement
The duration for completion of each module is 6 months. The modules are delivered in workshop mode combining lectures, case studies and assignments. There will be a mock exam at the end of each module to gauge participant’s level of proficiency.
Upon completion you will receive a certificate of completion conferred by the IP Academy.
BENEFITS
How the trainee benefits:
Trainees will receive
- More than 40 hours of classroom instruction per module (lectures, practical
workshops, and discussion groups)
- 10-12 homework exercises per module to be reviewed by the tutors.
How the employer benefits:
Having trainees diligently attend this course and completing homework exercises for review would save many hours of internal professional training. These hours can be devoted to more practical and billable professional work. Each exercise takes an agent about 1-2 hours to set, review, and critique, which can total many hours; the value of billable hours these training and exercise hours consume is way in excess of fees for the course.
ABOUT THE TUTORS
Robert Hirons
Robert Hirons is a member of the intellectual property practice in Lang Michener’s Toronto office. He joined the firm in 2006, bringing four decades of experience as a patent and trademark agent, intellectual property consultant and corporate intellectual property director. A Registered Patent Agent in both Canada and the United States and a Registered Trademark Agent in Canada, Mr. Hirons has been named partner in his own patent and trademark agent firm as well as a senior patent and trademark agent and consultant to firms in Toronto and Ottawa. As part of his extensive patent experience, Mr. Hirons served for four years on the Patent Agents’ Examining Board, Canada, reviewing candidates for registration as Patent Agents. Mr. Hirons is well known in Canada for his expertise in training patent agents and has also participated in patent agent training courses in Singapore.
Dr Khoo Chong Yee
Khoo Chong Yee is an experienced patent attorney (patent agent) qualified by examination with an extensive research background. He is the first, and so far only, Singaporean patent agent to have qualified before the United Kingdom and the European Patent Office.
Chong Yee has over 12 years experience as a patent attorney in private practice and industry. Prior to joining Cantab IP in Singapore, Chong Yee was a partner at D Young & Co, one of the leading firms of UK patent attorneys.
He is qualified to practice before the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), the UK Intellectual Property Office, European Patent Office and the European Trade Mark and Designs Office (OHIM). He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys, UK and a Member of epi (Institute of Professional Representatives before the EPO).
His scientific knowledge and working experience allow him to provide practical and commercially relevant advice to his clients, which have included universities, research institutes, startups, SMEs and large industrial clients in the United Kingdom, Denmark, the US, Singapore and elsewhere.
Tutors from ASPA will also be involved in the programme.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants to the course must have at least 6-months of patent drafting experience/training and have obtained legal foundation in IP. You are required to submit a letter from your company confirming your experience in patent drafting work.
