Intellectual Property Regulation Board

Introduction

Under the Legal Services Act 2007, the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) and the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (ITMA) were designated as approved regulators. In order to separate their regulatory functions from their representational functions, as the Act requires them to do, each set up a Regulation Board:

• the Patent Attorney Regulation Board, and
• the Trade Mark Attorney Regulation Board

to undertake the regulation of the Patent Attorney and Trade Mark Attorney professions.

So far as is possible, the two Boards will act and take decisions together as the Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPREG).

Until the formal designation of CIPA and ITMA as Approved Regulators, the IPREG is preparing for the hand over of regulatory responsibilities and has a “Shadow Board” and a skeleton administrative organisation.

What IPReg does

IPREG is responsible for:

• Setting the Education and Training requirements for qualification as a Patent Attorney and a Trade Mark Attorney,
• Setting the requirements for Continuous Professional Development in order that the Patent Attorneys and Trade Mark Attorneys knowledge, skills and expertise are maintained at a high level,
• Setting and maintaining a Code of Conduct for the professions, and
• Handling Complaints against Patent Attorneys and where appropriate taking disciplinary or other action.

Intellectual Property Regulation Board Code of Conduct

The IPReg Code of Conduct will apply to all Patent Attorneys and Trade Mark Attorneys when the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys and the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys formally become Approved Regulators under the Legal Services Act 2007, and establish the:

• the Patent Attorney Regulation Board, and
• the Trade Mark Attorney Regulation Board

The regulatory responsibilities of each Board are delegated to be delegated to IPReg. In the meantime, both professions will continue to be governed by their own respective Codes, (see separate section dealing with their respective Codes) but all Patent Attorneys and Trade Mark Attorneys will be expected to also have regard to this single Code of Conduct in their professional dealings.

Bear in mind that in relation to all conduct up to the formal introduction of the new Code, the separate codes of the two bodies will apply.

The Code, formally entitled the Rules of Conduct for Patent Attorneys, Trade Mark Attorneys and Other Regulated Persons can be found on the IPReg Website.

  IPReg Code of Conduct

Contacts

Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPREG)
3rd Floor,
95 Chancery Lane
London WC2 1DT

Telephone: 020 7440 9371
Facsimile: 020 7440 9374

Website: www.ipreg.org.uk
General Enquiries: ipreg [Email address: ipreg #AT# ipreg.org.uk - replace #AT# with @ ]
Chairman: Michael.Heap [Email address: Michael.Heap #AT# ipreg.org.uk - replace #AT# with @ ]
Chief Executive: Mike.Knight [Email address: Mike.Knight #AT# ipreg.org.uk - replace #AT# with @ ]