The minimum degree required to be a utility patent examiner is a bachelor's degree. There are dozens of STEM-related bachelor's degree types that qualify, even if they are not the exact discipline listed in the title of the job vacancy.
Both Patent Agents and Attorneys must either have a degree (B.S., B.A., Masters or PhD) in science or engineering, or have taken a certain amount of science and/or engineering classes to qualify to sit for an exam called the Patent Bar.
The timing of patent prosecution can vary significantly depending on the number of communications with the examiner. The goal of the USPTO is to issue the first Office Action within 14 months of the application filing date, and subsequent Office Actions within four months of each response submitted by the applicant.
To practice patent law, you would register with the USPTO. This involves submitting an application and passing the multiple-choice exam, also called the patent bar exam. Some coursework or experience in science or engineering is a prerequisite for this exam, but a bachelor's degree may be adequate.
The prosecution process is broadly divided into two phases: pre-grant and post-grant prosecution. Pre-grant prosecution includes the drafting and filing of patent applications, responding to patent office actions, and navigating the examination process to meet all legal requirements for patentability.
To practice patent law, you would register with the USPTO. This involves submitting an application and passing the multiple-choice exam, also called the patent bar exam. Some coursework or experience in science or engineering is a prerequisite for this exam, but a bachelor's degree may be adequate.
The search and examination phases constitute the main part of the prosecution of a patent application leading to grant or refusal. A search is conducted by the patent office for any prior art that is relevant to the application in question and the results of that search are notified to the applicant in a search report.