Registration of patent attorneys
Do you want to work as a patent attorney in the Netherlands? If so, you have to be registered in the Register of Patent Attorneys (Octrooigemachtigdenregister). The register provides the official overview of qualified patent attorneys in the Netherlands. The register is maintained by the Netherlands Patent Office.
What is a patent attorney
A patent attorney is a lawyer who is an expert on intellectual property laws. They advise on securing and protecting patents. The title of patent attorney in the Netherlands is protected by law. A patent attorney must complete a specific education and a traineeship before they can be included in the Register.
Conditions for patent attorneys in the Netherlands
To work as a patent attorney (in Dutch) in the Netherlands you need to:
- have a Master's degree in science or technology
- have completed a 3-year traineeship with an experienced patent attorney
- during your traineeship you have completed a part-time theoretical education at the Foundation Professional Training Patent Attorneys (Stichting Beroepsopleiding Octrooigemachtigden, SBO, in Dutch)
As a patent attorney you must keep to the behavioural code for patent attorneys (in Dutch)
Register of Patent Attorneys
Once you pass the exam and obtain the required experience, you can be sworn in as a patent attorney and entered into the register. You submit an application for authorisation and registration as a patent attorney to the Netherlands Patent Office (in Dutch). Registration is mandatory to work as a patent attorney and allows you to work as an patent attorney, independently, for a patent agency, or in-house at a company. Clients can use the Register of Patent Attorneys (Octrooigemachtigdenregister, in Dutch) to find you.
Continuous professional development
Registered patent attorneys have to keep their knowledge up to date through continuous professional development (permanente educatie, in Dutch) to keep their registration. You have to provide the Supervisory Board of the Institute of Patent Attorneys with an overview of the training you received every year.
Rules of conduct
As a patent attorney, you must observe the rules of conduct of the Netherlands Institute of Patent Attorneys (in Dutch). These rules prescribe among others how you:
- conduct yourself as a registered patent attorney
- advertise your services
- present yourself to the public, clients, and other patent attorneys
Working as a foreign patent attorney in the Netherlands
Are you a patent attorney in a EU or EEA country and do you need to do a limited number of patent applications in the Netherlands for a specific period? You can contact the director of the Netherlands Patent Office for permission (in Dutch).
You will receive written permission within 10 working days. With permission, you can work temporarily, for 1 year, as a foreign patent attorney in the Netherlands. After that year you need to apply for permission again. If this is not sufficient, you need to become a patent attorney in the Netherlands.
European patent attorney courses and exams
If you want to become a European patent attorney, you can apply to take a 2-year training course for European Qualification Examinations (EQE) in the Netherlands. These courses are also available in French and German.