If You’re a Struggling Scientist, a Shortcut to a Lucrative Career in Patent Law Awaits You

Posted on 22 December 2010 by admin

An article at CNN lists academic research scientists as one of the top three “Big jobs that pay badly”. The article states that this career track has “one of the most disproportionate ratios of training to pay”.

I believe it.

As a one-time research scientist myself, I experienced the low pay first-hand. In all honesty, it was barely enough to support my modest living needs, let alone a family. I found myself in the uncomfortable position of actually making less than a full-time waitress. This was with my Master’s degree in Molecular Biology working at a prestigious academic institute.

And as much as I’d like to say it gets better with more education, I can’t. Unfortunately, the salary and job expectations only seem to only worsen with the degree level. If you’re a postdoc, you know exactly what I mean.

Decades ago, the postdoctoral position was merely a “stepping stone” on the road to something bigger and better. But today, many postdocs are trapped in their temporary positions. Some spend as long as a decade, or more, just biding their time, searching for their “big-break” into the small pool of permanent Ph.D. positions.

Even those that make it are forced to go where the money is, which might not be where their ideas and dreams would take them.

I can imagine if you’re in this position, you’re probably wondering why I’m bringing this up. To rub in how incredibly underpaid you are? No. Instead, I want to let you in on a little secret.

It’s a shortcut actually.

You see, my story changed when I found out that as a scientist, I qualified to begin a career in patent law. All I needed to gain status as a registered Patent Agent was pass an exam conducted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Upon passing this exam, I would be legally eligible to write and prosecute patents in the U.S.

Chances are you qualify to take this exam and become a Patent Agent too.

A licensed Patent Agent (with no law degree) makes an average expected salary of $74,900 a year (as reported by PayScale.com in 2005). Contrast this with the $45,000 average salary of a Research Associate in the field of Biotechnology. That’s almost $30,000 more in a single year.

The salary for a Ph.D. in a postdoc position is a mere $38,000. And the average number of hours a postdoc works in a typical week is 51. If you do the math, it becomes apparent that a postdoc’s hourly wage is just under $15/hour. This is less than the average salary earned by recent college graduates with only a bachelor’s degree. Once again, let me remind you of the average salary of a Patent Agent — $74,900 a year.

And it’s not all about money. A career as a Patent Agent has its rewards. It’s a highly respectable and honorable career where you may put your knowledge to the test and solve fascinating technical and legal problems. It is your opportunity to really use that science degree (or the degrees) you worked so hard to get and earn the prestige you so deserve.

You will be right on the cutting edge of research and development, quite possibly even closer to it than you are today tucked away running experiments in the laboratory. You will be positioned to learn about new and exciting discoveries before anyone else.

In addition to the prestige offered by a career in patent law, there is virtually unlimited potential. Patent law is one of the few legal specialties that is actually growing. And since many biotech innovations truly do advance society, you will have the opportunity to do something positive for mankind (which is probably why you became a scientist in the first place).

And you may always choose to get a law degree after you gain experience as a Patent Agent. As you might guess, you can expect a higher pay and even more challenges as a Patent Attorney (in fact, the average pay for a Patent Attorney is $100,000 with some partners earning well over $200,000 a year).

So with all the benefits of a career in patent law, why don’t more scientists opt for this opportunity? Especially when all that stands between them and this career is an exam? Well the truth is, many just don’t know the opportunity exists. My goal is to change that.

As you can see, passing the Patent Bar exam can open an entirely new career door for you. It can pave the way to a higher salary and a highly rewarding career. So if you’re interested in a career change of this sort, please seek out more information today. As you know, shortcuts don’t always last forever, especially when the word gets out.

India Patent Law

Posted on 21 December 2010 by admin

The patent law and the entire patent system in India are governed by the superintendence of General Controller of designs patients, trademark patent and by geographical indications. This office of general controller runs under department of industrial policy and promotions. In all there are around four patent office in India among which the head patent office is located in Kolkata and the other offices are located in Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai. The examiners of each patent office have to discharge their work according to the direction of controllers.

Patentable Inventions

Anyone can be granted patent for any of their invention whether it is a product or some process. This term “Invention” is actually defined according to the patents act of 1970 which is altered time to time. This invention term means a new process or product that involves inventive methods that are capable of some industrial applications.

In order to be patentable the invention should fall in the category of patentable subjects which are defined in the patent law. Additionally the invention should also relate to some machine, substance or article that is produced by some unique process. The individual can also obtain patent for even doing some improvements in the article or in the process of the manufactured product. However, when it comes to drug or medicinal products or any other forms of chemical products there are no patents granted to the product. The individual can produce the manufactured invention in any of the four patent offices of India and through the help of a patent agent, the patent can be granted for your invention.

Copyright Law: An Overview

Posted on 18 December 2010 by admin

Copyright law is a property protection law that protects any type of literary property, such as literary work, music, films, sound recordings, artistic work, and dramatic work of the original writer or creator. The law comes into action the moment the work is created. This law helps in protecting the rights of the writers and creators.

Works Protected By Copyright Law

Literary works includes poems, shorts stories, business letters, books, novels, and any other type of original writing. Dramatic work includes dance, sound, and mimes. Musical works includes the rhymes, the musical notes, and the materials that affect the human ear, like harmonies or orchestras. Artistic works include photographs, sculptures, architecture, and graphics. Film and sound recording or broadcasts include sound tracks and the dramatic work that goes into making films.

Infringement Of Copyright Law

Any kind of recreation of these works is considered copyright infringement, and copyright law kicks in. The copyright law does not protect ideas or patents. Patents are protected by patent law.

Copyright law comes into effect as soon as a literary work is created. However, it is a good idea to protect the copyright of the material by indicating the copyrights after the work is completed, so any accidental reuse can be avoided. Further, one can register the work at a copyright office for safety purposes. This is especially applicable to some huge literary works, or innovative work, or any other high-value work, such as novels, new research, a good story, and many more. If a work is registered at the copyright office, any claim of ownership or any claim against misuse of copyrighted material can be dealt with successfully.

There are several copyright registration options available, online registration and in paper registration to name a few, and these cost less than $100 in registration fees.

Legal Recourse

If one finds that a particular work has been stolen and reproduced elsewhere, one can file a copyright infringement claim. However, the onus is on the claimant to prove that the material was originally created by him or her and prove that it had copyrights before the other party reproduced the work. If the material is registered at the copyrights office, it is easier to win the claim; however, if it is not registered, one would need an expert attorney to represent one’s case.

If one is beginning any important literary or artistic work, which is high value, and if one believes that losing the work can cost a lot financially, one can hire a copyright attorney, who will ensure that the material is protected from the beginning and adequate safeguard measures are taken to prevent any accidental or intentional infringement.

Any printed material immediately comes under the purview of copyright law. However, the value of the printed matter differs from something nominal to high value. Thus, the impact of copyright infringement also varies based on the value and type of material. It is always a good practice to immediately register any printed material with a copyright office to avoid legal hassles and financial loss that may occur in the future.