Category Archives: patent agent jobs

Patent Pros at Work in Universities

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We take pride in noting that patent agents have a wealth of career opportunities—with law firms, the USPTO, and within corporations’ intellectual property divisions, but we haven’t yet mentioned those in our own backyard—universities eager to commercialize the technologies they’ve developed.

Take this quote from a recent article on Inc.com: “One source of new technologies is our national labs and universities that get federal funding. Their mission is to find commercial partners to bring inventions out of the lab and turn them into real products.”

Most universities now have distinct departments devoted to facilitating this process. At Notre Dame, it’s the Office of Technology Transfer. Among their functions:

  • To secure legal protection (patents) for ND technologies,
  • To market those technologies to companies that are well positioned to bring them to the marketplace,
  • To negotiate and execute licenses transferring rights in ND technologies to such companies

 

Just a brief look at the current technologies put forth by the university and you can see the win-win opportunity that patent licensing makes possible, for startup companies and universities alike.

Not to mention the opportunity for the facilitator! Consider it: a job in which you are on the forefront of every advancement that comes out of a university, where you’re the bridge between the academy and the business world, making new technologies available for public benefit. Interested? Contact the Masters Program in Patent Law to learn how our degree is your first step forward.

Highlighting Notre Dame alumnus Matt Connors

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Not only have Notre Dame alums helped to establish a relationship between the Master of Science in Patent Law and IP-powerhouse General Electric, Domers at prestigious legal firms are excited to help patent law flourish on the Notre Dame campus.

Matthew Connors, who graduated from Notre Dame in 1985 with a degree in Electrical Engineering, is just one such benefactor of the program. A former patent examiner with the USPTO, Matt joined a small patent law firm in Boston in 1991 and made partner in 1996. Gauthier & Connors recently merged with Boston legal practice Gesmer Updegrove, LLP. (Matt’s in the ND sweater, holding the patent.)

Matt has generously financed two scholarships for our first class of Patent Law students, and has also created a summer internship at his firm for a student from the first class—an essential foot-in-the-door for any legal graduate on the job market. And if that wasn’t enough, he’s even offered to mentor a student’s Capstone project—a real-life patent application.

It’s easy to see why Matt has such a continued interest in the University. He has one child, a daughter, who is currently studying at Notre Dame, and his son will be joining the Freshman class this coming Fall — further proof that the ND spirit and legacy runs deep.

Our great thanks to Matt!

The Value of American Ideas

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What comes to mind when you think of American exports? Cadillacs? Doritos? Those are easy, but you may not consider services like finance and education, and you probably don’t think of American ideas either. But as shown on the chart below, intellectual property falls under the “Royalties and Licensing” bubble, and makes up a big chunk of American GDP.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis Credit: Lam Thuy Vo / NPR

According to NPR’s Planet Money, American ideas bring in about $105.6 billion from overseas. And as illustrated in the next breakdown, the lion’s share of these monies comes from “Software” and “Industrial Processes”—both of which depend on patent protection to ensure the intellectual property is not being abused, and the developer is getting their fair share of compensation from use.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis Credit: Lam Thuy Vo / NPR

“Industrial processes” comprise anything from medicine and drug formulas to trade secrets and technology in manufacturing. It all goes to show that intellectual property, while it may be as intangible as a thought, idea, or simple moment of inspiration, is a big, global business—a business that needs individuals like you to be a part of!

Patent Pros Highly Sought After

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How’s this for a start to a recent article in the New York Times:

“Patent lawyers are in such demand that their specialty may account for more than 15 percent of law firm job openings while representing just 3 percent of lawyers in the United States.”

Yes, intellectual property is booming in the U.S., thanks in part to the America Invents Act, which allows for more patents to be applied for and issued.

One of the central hubs for patent careers is in the San Francisco Bay area, where a close proximity to Silicon Valley  the demand for protect all the innovation coming from the myriad tech businesses there. Hip, temperate, and cosmopolitan, with plenty of fine restaurants and endless cultural happenings—not a bad place to start a career…

Interestingly, the article also states that overall hires “among law school graduates continue to weaken… the employment rate among American law school graduates fell 4.7 percent last year” according to the National Association of Law Placement.

Which is another plus for patent professionals, who with the help of a Masters in Patent Law from Notre Dame, need only to pass the patent bar to be able to prepare patent applications and administer cases with the USPTO—all without the time and expense spent at law school.

In keeping with the haute opportunities available to those with a patent background, it seems if the world of law were the world of cuisine, it’s fair to say that patent professionals would be the succulent black truffle mushroom: rare, in great demand, and able to fetch a premium price!