Employment requirements for applicants to register as a patent attorney and location conditions

Issue summary

To be eligible to register as a patent attorney an applicant must have been employed in Australia or New Zealand for a specified period. As Australian and New Zealand firms are increasingly operating internationally, attorneys will leave these countries to set up new offices and, during this time, mentor and train new trainees outside the geographical boundaries.

The 2023 Review on the Arrangement between the Governments of Australia and New Zealand Relating to the Trans-Tasman Regulation of Patent Attorneys recommended review of the geographic requirements imposed on the employment experience required under Regulation 20.10 of the Patents Regulations.

History

• Closed 6 March 2025

Comments

• In 2024, IP Australia and New Zealand Government conducted target consultation with the attorney profession on this issue. Feedback from this consultation generally did not support change or provide evidence of a significant problem.