NEWS RELEASE
22 April 2003
Patent Attorneys’ Role Reviewed
Intellectual Property law firm, A J Park, is pleased the Government has maintained professional standards for patent
attorneys in the amendments just agreed to by Cabinet for modernising the regulation of the patent attorney profession.
Concerned at the possible watering down of professional regulation for patent attorneys in New Zealand, Bryan Thompson,
partner at A J Park, says it is essential that patent attorneys are highly and appropriately qualified for the purpose
of protecting New Zealanders’ intellectual property rights.
“We welcome the decision that to draft and file patent applications must continue to be done by adequately qualified
patent attorneys. It is a highly specialised field where mistakes would be very costly for the client and for the New
Zealand economy”, he says.
Thompson says a badly prepared patent specification removes the possibility of robust protection because once the
invention is on public record the damage can not be repaired.
“New Zealand is currently highly regarded overseas for the quality and professionalism of our patent attorneys, so it is
good the Government has recognised this is a standard worth preserving,” he says
ENDS