Opinion and the Way to Promote an Occupation of Patent Agent to Students in the Faculties of Science and Engineering

Abstract

A patent agent is an occupation related to intellectual property (IP). The patent agent is an inventoror client’s proxy to draft and file for patent or petty patent application, to protect client’s patent or pettypatent rights and benefits, to file objection or appeal against the IP infringement, and, in some countries, tobe able to file the IP cases in courts.

Most Thai patent agents who pass IP training and examination and register at the Department ofIntellectual Property graduated in law, while patent agents in other countries are required to have a degreein science and technology. The results from a research study to students in the Faculties of Science andEngineering at both public and private Thai universities found that they have not much known about apatent agent as an occupation. However, their opinion and interest of working as a patent agent are positive.Some suggestions to promote the occupation of patent agent are to firstly increase more research anddevelopment projects, including inventions in Thailand. The more research is promoted, the more patentagent service is needed. This will also enable patent agents to develop their qualification. Furthermore, toprovide education, to give career guidance by raising the success of exemplary cases of patent agents, tocreate team working system in the patent agent office, and to establish a professional association or councilfor patent agents can promote the occupation of patent agent more popular and will increasingly attract theinterest of this occupation to students in the Faculties of Science and Engineering.

Keywords : Patent agent / Opinion / the Way to Promote / Students in the Faculties of Science andEngineering