IP Law & Engineering

[ykee]

I'm contemplating a career change -- looking into IP law. Does anyone have any stories, links or anything that might be useful background info?

Thanks.

 

[DonPE]

The older I get, the more IP.

 

[KENAT]

Well, you're selling your soul and going to the dark side but hey, your choice.

I will admit that I'm generally one of those who thinks we have too many lawyers etc.

That said, if I ever came up with any worthwhile IP I'd want someone good to defend it so why not go for it.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[JAE]

..uh...DonPE - that was bad

 

[ash9144]

A friend of mine made the move from industry to IP law. Took him several years but he is happy with it now. He worked for a law firm as a "resource" while pursuing his law degree. I don't know if there is much pay associated with consulting with the lawyers in that capacity but really gave him some good exposure. That could be an option to look into.

 

[civilperson]

What is the meaning of "IP Law"?

 

[ash9144]

Intellectual property. Inventions, copyrights, ideas, and such. Not a lawyer so not a legal definition there.

 

[SomptingGuy]

I've had some fairly lengthy dealings with our IP lawyers over the last couple of years. Not massively exciting from my side of the table (apart from the financial incentives my company offers for registering patents), but quite illuminating about what it must be like from the lawyers' side.

Imagine getting a 2-3 hour presentation from some engineers and trying to pick out anything from it that might be worth patenting. Then trying to remember what it was they were talking about and writing it up in legalese. A few months and 100 emails later and there's a document to file. I don't honestly believe that either of the two patents I've recently been involved with were understood by our lawyers - they just seemed to be looking for key words that worked in other patents.

 

[vpl]

civilperson, thanks for asking. I didn't know either.

Patricia Lougheed

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[casseopeia]

ykee,

Go for it. The world of IP law is tame, unlike other sectors such as family and personal injury.

If you are 'going to the dark side', it will be as a beacon of light. I think the more technically astute an attorney, the better for the profession. I work in the field of Construction Defects law as an expert witness. The attorneys who are familiar with construction and engineering are far better than the ones who are not.

My suggestion is find out what sorts of cases are most prevalent and immerse yourself in the technical details as well as the legal aspects.


"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"

 

[Heckler]

Here is a good thread thread731-187363 I have nothing else to ad to this topic

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SWx 2007 SP 4.0 & Pro/E 2001

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"Avoid the base hypocrisy of condemning in one man what you pass over in silence when committed by another." -- Theodor