CPD

CPD arrangements for registered attorneys in practice in 2010:

IPReg is now responsible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) arrangements for both registered patent and trade mark attorneys in accordance with new CPD Regulations.  All practising registered attorneys must carry out a minimum period of CPD each year to ensure that their skills, knowledge and professional standards are developed in areas relevant to their area of practice.  You can read the new CPD Regulations elsewhere on the site as well as our Guidance Notes on how the new CPD arrangements will work. 

A key change is that you will need to certify that you have carried out at least 16 hours CPD during 2010 when you apply to remain on either or both of the patent and trade mark attorney registers for 2011.  You will not need to provide any evidence at the time you make the certification but you will need to be able to do so if required later and so we recommend that you keep basic records of your CPD.  We have included in the Guidance Notes an example of a record format which may be suitable.

Specific training and development activities do not need to be validated or otherwise judged as suitable by IPReg in advance in order to qualify as CPD since we do not have the resources or competence to do so.  However, IPReg will recognise the accreditation of IP related CPD activities by LSB regulated organisations such as CIPA, ITMA, the Law Society and the Bar Council, and the CPD hours apportioned to them.  Similarly, we have decided that in-house educational meetings which satisfy certain general criteria set out in the Guidance Notes will automatically be considered as suitable for CPD purposes without any pre-approval.

We have recently determined that, on return from extended leave (whether maternity, paternity, prolonged sickness or sabbatical or career break) a pro rata formula should be applied to calculate the amount of CPD required to the end of the relevant year.

September 2010