1. Certification for Patent Information Professionals
Dania Agnoletto
AIDB (Italian Patent User Group) CEPIUG (Confederacy of European Patent Information User Groups)
«Signori e Signore….Buonasera!» ….oooopppssss….I’m sorry…I forgot to switch in English…… 

2. Certification Project: why?
To ensure professional standards in this job and legal acknowledgement and protection of this profession
To accredit Patent information professionals and to give them opportunity of career growth
Why a certification project?
To ensure professional standards in this job
To accredit Patent information professionals and to give them opportunity of career growth

3. Certification Project: aims
Identification of the requirements for being certified as a professional patent searcher.
Identification/creation of a certifying body.
Development of examination papers.
What are the aims:
Identification of the requirements for being certified as a professional patent searcher.
Identification/creation of a certifying body.
Development of examination papers.

4. Certification Project: requirements for being certified
Identification of the requirements for being certified as a professional patent searcher.
Identification/creation of a certifying body.
Development of examination papers.
Ability to:
prepare and run a search (Opposition/validity, novelty, patent infringement)
Use search tools/ patent information sources
Knowledge of patent laws /systems
Ability to:
Prepare and run a search (Opposition/validity, novelty, patent infringement) - creating Strategy Search using the right keywords or codes
Use search tools/ patent information sources -using the right database based on the type of search we would like to perform
Knowledge of patent laws /systems - Knowing the ITER and the timeline needed for a patent or an application

5. Certification Project: Certifying Body
Consist of
A Supervisory Council
Qualifications & Continued Professional Education Committee
Examination Committee
Accreditation Committee
The Certification Body Consist of
A Supervisory Council
Qualifications & Continued Professional Education Committee
Examination Committee
Accreditation Committee

6. Certification Project: Examination Paper
Search paper
To demonstrate the ability to perform a “good” search.
Analysis paper
To demonstrate the ability to correctly analyze the results from a search using technical knowledge combined with basic knowledge of major patent systems and patents laws.
Certificate is based on search paper and analysis paper
Search paper
To demonstrate the ability to perform a “good” search.
Analysis paper
To demonstrate the ability to correctly analyze the results from a search using technical knowledge combined with basic knowledge of major patent systems and patents laws.

7. Certification Project: Organization Chart
Coordinators
Regulation & Organization
Articles & Rules
Organization
PER
Examination committees
Chemistry search
Engineering search
Biotech search
Analysis
Training
Here you can see the organization chart of the certification project.
At the top the Coordinators then there are three big groups
Regulation & Organization
Examination committees
Training
these groups are divided in subgroups 

8. Certification Project: Coordinators
Regulation & Organization
Articles & Rules
Organization
PER
Examination committees
Chemistry search
Engineering search
Biotech search
Analysis
Training
Bettina de Jong - (WON), chair
Susanne Hantos - (PIUG)
Sue Helliwell - (BPIP)
Bart van Wezenbeek - (WON)
Bernd Wolter - (PDG)
Linus Wretblad - (SIPIG, CEPIUG)
Here are listed the coordinators chaired by Bettina De Jong of the Netherland Patent User Group

9. Certification Project: Regulation & Organization
Coordinators
Regulation & Organization
Articles & Rules
Organization
PER
Examination committees
Chemistry search
Engineering search
Biotech search
Analysis
Training
Main responsibilities:
Proposal for certification organisation
Specification of duties
In the articles and Rules, group I'm part of, we discussed about the Rules and Guidelines that the Certification Project should follow for example languages used, number of people in the examination board, every how many year the exam should be organized.. A lot of webex and teleconferences have been organized in these years among us to discuss and reach important decisions
The Organization group is working on the logistic organization like for example where, where and how the exam will take place.
Conditions for registration and enrolment
More detailed information
Practical guidelines

10. Prior Experience Recognition (PER): Why?
Coordinators
Regulation & Organization
Articles & Rules
Organization
PER
Examination committees
Chemistry search
Engineering search
Biotech search
Analysis
Training
To create a:
Critical mass to start the certification organisation
Pool of potential contributors for developing and marking the exam papers
PER (stand for Prior Experience Recognition) is a sort of grandfathering limited to the period before the first exam will be organized
If eligible, a person may choose to apply for Prior Experience Recognition (PER) instead of sitting the Qualified Patent Information Professional (QPIP) certification exams.
Why we also forecasted a sort of grandfathering?
The idea behind it is to get some critical mass to give the organisation a bit of relevance and have a pool from which to fill the committees .

11. Prior Experience Recognition (PER): Conditions
Coordinators
Regulation & Organization
Articles & Rules
Organization
PER
Examination committees
Chemistry search
Engineering search
Biotech search
Analysis
Training
Initially US and Europe (other countries in the future)
3 months notice before window opens
3 months window for application
Unfortunately we do not have a large amount of people at the moment so we need to restrict initially by geographic location in order to be able to review all the applications.
So we decided to start only with US and EP for practical reasons with a view to enroll out later on when we have people we can get to do the work.
People come to knowledge 3 months before the need to apply for grandfathering including all the conditions for being accepted.
The 3 months window is to allow people to prepare all the paper work and enable them to see if they qualify to give people time to send in applications and get approval from their company if necessary. It also allows people who are off on Maternity or sick leave to be able to apply. These time frames were agreed in our meeting.
The public notices may appear in print or online from different organizations that may include patent information user groups, conferences, patent information library centres (such as PatLib Centres in Europe or the US Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRC)), patent information database vendors and patent offices.
The non-refundable fees are to minimize the admin costs and then give people the incentive to do the exam if they did not qualify. So would be given as a kind of credit.
Fees non-refundable in line with the exam
If not accepted then may be used for doing the exam the first time

12. Prior Experience Recognition (PER): Prerequisites
Coordinators
Regulation & Organization
Articles & Rules
Organization
PER
Examination committees
Chemistry search
Engineering search
Biotech search
Analysis
Training
Education:
scientific/engineering/technical bachelor degree or equivalent in lieu of tertiary qualifications, 10 years experience working in a technical field
Experience:
At least 10 years full time (15 years part time) with >60% search related
At least 20 searches per year (averaged over 5 years):
at least 5 patent infringement risk
at least 5 novelty/validity/ opposition
The eligibility criteria for PER is explained below:
Education:
scientific/engineering/technical bachelor degree or equivalent
Experience:
At least 10 years full time (15 years part time) with >60% search related
In the five years immediately preceding the date of application for PER, the applicant must have completed a minimum of 20 searches per year (averaged over 5 years):
at least 5 patent infringement risk
at least 5 novelty/validity/ opposition

13. Prior Experience Recognition (PER): Requirements
Coordinators
Regulation & Organization
Articles & Rules
Organization
PER
Examination committees
Chemistry search
Engineering search
Biotech search
Analysis
Training
Willing to stand on a Patent Information Professional committee.
Accumulation of a minimum of 10 CPD (continued professional development) points per calendar year once PER is granted.
Required to either attend or present a course in all 3 essential parts of the exam.
What we ask to people who get the PER?
Willing to stand on an examination committee. (for example, to help create courses in support of the certification exams or possibly to set certification exam questions)
Minimum of 10 continued professional development (CPD) points per calendar year, once PER is granted, in order to maintain his or her certified status.
Required to either attend or present a course in all 3 essential parts of the exam:
Searching and Analysis - approaches for patent infringement and novelty/ validity/ opposition searching
Knowledge of patent law and patent systems
Required evidence:
Full CV
Notice of employment, and
Witnessed Statutory declaration declaring the above conditions have been met (module will be supplied)
Any comments would be welcome….
Required evidence:
Full CV
Notice of employment
Witnessed Statutory Declaration declaring the above
conditions have been met (module will be supplied)

14. Certification Project: Exam Committees
Coordinators
Regulation & Organization
Articles & Rules
Organization
PER
Examination committees
Chemistry search
Engineering search
Biotech search
Analysis
Training
Search paper:
1 question from a choice of technological areas addressing opposition/validity/novelty
1 question from a choice of technological areas addressing patent infringement risk
Exam Committees, Format of the Papers is working on:
Search paper:
1 question from a choice of technological areas addressing opposition/validity/novelty
1 question from a choice of technological areas addressing patent infringement risk
Analysis paper:
Short answer questions
Two technology independent cases
Analysis paper:
Short answer questions
Two technology independent cases

15. Certification Project: Training & Education Group
Coordinators
Regulation & Organization
Articles & Rules
Organization
PER
Examination committees
Chemistry search
Engineering search
Biotech search
Analysis
Training
Main responsibilities:
Updating and enhancing the overview of existing training courses
Mapping the required skills to the provided course content
The working group of Training & Education Group is working on:
Updating and enhancing the overview of existing courses
Mapping the required skills to the provided course content
Defining syllabus for QPIP
Future: Continuing Professional Education
The working group on training and education will liaise closely with the working group on certification, to ensure that the recommended minimum curriculum is consistent with a high quality certification standard.
Defining syllabus for Patent Information Professional
Future: Continuing Professional Education

16. Name for those who qualify
And the winner is…..
QPIP
What should the certification title be?
And the very strong effort has been made :-) to find the name for those who qualify....and the winner is
QPIP
Qualified Patent Information Professional
Qualified Patent Information Professional

17. Website www.qpip.org (under construction)
We also created a website that you can reach at this IP address
Here you can find some of the information mentioned in this presentation

18. What still needs to be done?
Finalise the work in progress regarding
Articles & Rules
Organisation
Training & Education
Finalise exam questions
Develop marking schemes
Prior Experience Recognition
What still needs to be done?
Finish the work in progress regarding
Articles & Rules
Organisation
Training & Education
Decide on Prior Experience Recognition
Finalise exam questions & develop marking schemes for new exams
Volunteer are welcome!!

19. For Certification info, you can contact : bettina.dejong@shell.com
That’s all Folks! Thank you for your attention ……….
For certification info you can contact
For Certification info, you can contact :