Specifics of the Activities of Patent Attorneys

The field of intellectual property is quite specific and narrowly focused, has its own characteristics and requires certain special knowledge and skills. It is possible to cope with tasks and issues in the field of intellectual property with the help of patent attorneys who are qualified specialists in this field, and have the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge.

Who is a patent attorney? Where can you learn to play it? In this article, we will analyze the specifics of the activities of patent attorneys in the Russian Federation and their importance in the field of intellectual property.

The status of a patent attorney

A patent attorney of the Russian Federation is a specially authorized person who conducts business with the Russian Federal Executive Body in the Field of Intellectual Property (Rospatent) on behalf of clients.

That is, in fact, a patent attorney is a link/intermediary between the patent office and applicants, who has the right to represent their interests in Rospatent, as well as in courts on issues in the field of legal protection of intellectual property.

The status of a patent attorney shall be assigned to persons who have confirmed the necessary qualifications and work experience in the field of activity of a patent attorney in accordance with the specialization in respect of which the citizen expresses a desire to be certified and registered as a patent attorney, and corresponding to the requirements of this Federal Law.

To obtain the status of a patent attorney, it is necessary to strictly comply with certain requirements, including:

• higher education;
• professional activity in the field of intellectual property for at least 4 years in the field of activity of a patent attorney in accordance with the specialization in which the citizen expresses a desire to be certified and registered as a patent attorney;
• age over 18 years;
• permanent residence in the territory of the Russian Federation.

Certification of candidates for patent attorneys shall be carried out by the Federal Executive Body in the Field of Intellectual Property, which shall establish a qualification commission headed by an official of the Federal Executive Body in the Field of Intellectual Property.

Certification of candidates for patent attorneys is carried out at least three times a year, information about the dates of acceptance of documents and the examination is published on the website of Rospatent.

To pass the certification, it is necessary to initially submit an application to Rospatent and attach a set of documents that confirm the candidate's compliance with the above requirements, as well as pay the state fee. Further, based on the results of consideration of the application and the attached documents, a decision is made on admission (if the documents meet the necessary requirements) or non-admission to the exam (if the documents do not meet the necessary requirements).

When submitting an application, a candidate for patent attorney indicates the specialization, specialization in which he wants to be certified and attaches the necessary documents to the application.

In the course of the qualification examination, it is checked whether the candidate for patent attorney has the necessary knowledge to carry out the activities of a patent attorney and the relevant skills of their practical application. The qualification exam consists of two parts: computer testing (40 minutes are provided for 30 questions, there must be at least 25 correct answers), according to the results of which, if the answers to the questions are correct, the candidate proceeds to the second part of the exam - the practical part, where it is necessary to complete tasks and show their ability to apply theoretical knowledge in practice (written work, for which 5 hours and 4 tasks are provided, answers to all problems must be given correctly).

The qualification examination is conducted on the basis of examination tasks approved by the Qualification Commission in accordance with the specialization or specializations specified in the application for attestation as a patent attorney, including:

• trademarks and service marks;
• geographical indications and appellations of origin of goods;
• industrial designs;
• inventions and utility models;

Within one month from the date of completion of the qualification examination, the qualification commission shall make a decision on attestation or refusal of attestation. The decision of the qualification commission on the results of the attestation shall enter into force from the date of its adoption.

After successfully passing the exam and the qualification commission makes a decision on certification, a citizen receives the status of a patent attorney and is entered into the State Register of Patent Attorneys of the Russian Federation, he is assigned a registration number. 

In case of disagreement with the decision of the qualification commission to refuse admission to the qualification examination or to refuse to certify, a citizen has the right to appeal the relevant decision to the appeal commission within three months from the date of its receipt.

Institute of Patent Attorneys in Russia

It should be noted that the Institute of Russian Patent Attorneys is quite new, it began to operate in Russia in 1992 with the adoption in the Russian Federation of a block of laws on the legal protection of industrial property objects.

Relations related to the activities of patent attorneys in the territory of the Russian Federation, requirements for patent attorneys, the procedure for their certification and registration, as well as duties and responsibilities are determined and regulated by the Federal Law of 30.12.08 No 316-FZ in accordance with the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

As of December 2025, there are 2855 people in the Register of Patent Attorneys. The Register of Patent Attorneys can be found on the website of Rospatent.

A patent attorney is a specialist who has the necessary knowledge of the field of intellectual property in a specific specialization or several specializations, whose qualification is confirmed by the Russian Federal Executive Body in the Field of Intellectual Property.

It is also important to note that only patent attorneys have the right to represent the interests of foreign applicants and right holders in Rospatent.

Knowing all the subtleties and nuances of this area, a patent attorney provides applicants with high-quality services in the field of intellectual property. The protection and enforcement of intellectual property is an important value for successful business development. A patent attorney, having the necessary special marks and practical skills, will help you competently build a strategy for the protection and protection of intellectual property and achieve the desired results.