What it takes to be a Malaysian patent agent
Aside from having the required technical background necessary for the understanding of technical inventions, patent agents also have legal backgrounds needed for logically and convincingly justifying an outcome.
A patent agent must have strong technical, legal and communication skills that are needed not only for guiding clients through the patent system but ultimately facilitating the client’s business growth through intellectual property.
To become a registered patent agent in Malaysia, one has to first be a candidate of the Malaysian patent agent examination conducted once yearly by the Board of Examiners at the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO). The examination consists of five main subjects, namely technological composition; Malaysian patent law and practice; Malaysian trademark and industrial designs law and practice; foreign IP law and practice; and patent claim drafting. A candidate is allowed a maximum of three attempts to make the grade; in the event of failure he or she will have to re-sit all five subjects once more.
