Further topics
IP experts with technical knowledge
Patent attorneys are independent consultants and representatives who are specialised in intellectual property. To become a patent attorney, you have several options. In any case, you must have a university degree in natural sciences or engineering.
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Training in the field of IP rights
The classical career path to becoming a patent attorney consists of the almost three-year long training in the field of IP rights. The training consists of three phases that candidates need to complete in the following order:
- at least 26 months in a patent law firm or in the patent department of a company (first training phase),
- two months at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (second training phase), and
- six months at the Federal Patent Court (third training phase).
You also need to complete studies in general law – these classes are usually taken alongside your training.
Before starting your IP training, you need to be admitted to the training by the DPMA. For this purpose, to you have to submit a written application to the DPMA. For more details, please refer to the section admission to the training as well as our leaflet regarding the patent attorney training and qualifying examination (in German).
Your training concludes with the patent attorney qualifying examination. If you pass, you are allowed to call yourself "Patentassessorin" or "Patentassessor" and can apply for admission as a patent attorney to the Chamber of Patent Attorneys or work as a "Patentassessorin/Patentassessor" in the industry.
For more information, please refer to the section admission to the training and our Leaflet regarding the patent attorney training and qualifying examination [PDF, 487 KB] (in German).
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Further information and documents
Leaflet regarding the patent attorney training and qualifying examination [PDF, 487 KB] (in German)
Evaluation form – First training phase (not accessible) [PDF, 1 MB] (in German)
Information regarding the subsistence loan [PDF, 153 KB] (in German)
Application for a subsistence loan [PDF, 2 MB] (in German)
Information regarding filling out the application form for a subsistence loan [PDF, 167 KB] (in German)
Patent administrator
If, after completing a university degree in natural sciences or engineering, you have worked in the patent department of a company or in a patent law firm as a consultant or representative for at least ten years (or eight years, in case you passed the European qualifying examination to represent applicants before the EPO), you can also be admitted to the patent attorney qualifying examination by the DPMA without the training required otherwise. However, you still need to have completed studies in general law in this case as well.
To be admitted to the examination, you have to submit a written application to the DPMA. For details, please refer to our Leaflet regarding the patent attorney training and qualifying examination [PDF, 487 KB] (in German)
European patent attorneys
As patent attorney of another member state of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland you can be admitted as a patent attorney in Germany if you can prove that you fulfil all the requirements for acting as a patent attorney in Germany or that you have completed a special qualifying examination.
To do this, you need to submit a written application to the DPMA. For details, please refer to the Act on the Activities of Patent Attorneys from EU Member States in Germany (EuPAG) (in German).
The German Chamber of Patent Attorneys: your partner after the patent attorney training
The Chamber of Patent Attorneys is responsible for matters concerning patent attorneys and patent law firms, like admitting someone to the patent bar, including swearing them in and entering them into the electronic list of all patent attorneys admitted in Germany, revoking a license, appointing a liquidator, appointing a representative and exempting an attorney from the obligation to have a law office in Germany.