During the Greco-Roman Civilization in Athens; it was a common practice to tackle the case of a person through oration. The orator could be the accused himself or the friend of the accused who spoke on behalf of his friend. Historians say that the concept of modern-day lawyers has come from that time. However; it was 450 BC when Lebanon laid the foundation of the first-ever law school in the world. Now; we have come so far that we can take business law assignment help and law courses through online platforms. New Zealand is one such country that is known for its exceptional education standards in every discipline, including the discipline of law.
If students can take business management assignment help through online platforms then they can also do law courses from New Zealand-based universities because the location is not a barrier anymore. This post will highlight one such field of law (IP) and its career in New Zealand.
What is intellectual property law?
“The most important thing about intellectual property vs. creative expression is that copyright law was created not to stifle creativity but to encourage creativity.” Shepard Fairey
Intellectual property is the creation of human intellect that is not present in physical form rather it is an intangible creation. Inventions, patents, writings of authors, and so on are some of the common examples of intellectual property. Now; if there exists something, then there must be a law to protect that particular thing as well.
The law that protects intellectual property is known as intellectual property law. It is about the establishment and protection of intellectual creations like inventions, designs, brands, artworks, music, and so on.
Types of intellectual property law:
There are mainly four types of intellectual property law that can protect your ideas and creativity. The technological advancements offered by blockchain promise wide ranges of use in intellectual property (IP) law and all of its mentioned types (Gürkaynak et al, 2018). These types are as follows;
1. Patent:
A patent is a kind of license that confers a right or right for a certain period of time. It prevents others from selling or stealing the idea and provides protection to functional features. iPhone design or swipe feature can be taken as examples of the patent.
2. Trademark:
A trademark is a kind of logo, symbol, or design that identifies a particular design, brand, or company. Intellectual property law prevents these trademarks from getting stolen. For example, the trademark of MacDonald’s is “m”.
3. Copyright:
Copyright is a license given to the creator or originator of a particular story, movie, or other such forms of creation. Only the originator has the right to copy, distribute, publish, and print the creation. It is the intellectual property law that prevents the copyright of works of authorship.
4. Trade secret:
A trade secret is the secrets of the company including formulas, practices, designs, and so on that the manufacturer doesn’t want to share with others, for example, the formula of Doritos and so on.
Intellectual property law career in New Zealand:
New Zealand is considered one of the top countries when it comes to the provision of intellectual property rights. It is a very well-paid area of work because of the specialized nature of work. To carry out the effective management of intellectual property law in New Zealand; the following principles are required to be followed;
- Having a proper strategy for protecting your Intellectual property right from the very beginning is crucial to continue with legal rights.
- The intellectual property rights followed in New Zealand are carried out in different ways than in the United States and other countries.
- Your intellectual property rights must be registered under the New Zealand system of laws if you want to imply them while living in the country. This will protect the copyrights f your creation at least within the area of New Zealand. Besides; there is no such law that can protect the copyrights of a particular company in the whole world.
- It is the duty of the rights holder to register their rights where needed, retaining their own counsel and advisors.
How to become an intellectual property lawyer in New Zealand?
If you want to join the field of intellectual property law in New Zealand then you will have to undergo the following steps;
· Qualification:
To become an intellectual property lawyer, a relevant degree in graduate or post-graduate is a must. Even though; there is no confinement to certain disciplines only but it is better to study in the following fields if you have an interest in joining intellectual property law;
- Political science.
- Technology.
- History.
- Chemistry.
- English.
- Business management.
- Science.
- Engineering.
· Law school test:
After you have done your graduation or post-graduation; it is time to pass the law test of your country. This will be a short course in which you be taught the rules and skills of implementing intellectual property rights. It is a work-based training program that students need to pass before taking their practicing license.
· Practicing certificate:
After you are done with your qualification as well as the law school test, it is time to obtain your license which will allow you to practice law legally in New Zealand. This license is obtained from the New Zealand Law Society.
· Experience/skills:
If you did an internship during the course of your study in the related field of study then you can add it to your experience but if you don’t have any working experience then you must have the following skills;
- Strong communication skills.
- Critical thinking ability.
- Decision-making capacity.
- Research skills.
- Influencing powers.
- Grip over written communication.
Written communication is one of the most ancient forms of communication and is more relevant than ever. It is not just a method of conveying a message, but it is also considered to be an art (pes-admin, 2020).
Also read: How To Conduct A Strong Thesis Statement For Your Dissertation?
Role of an intellectual property lawyer in New Zealand:
The duties or role of intellectual property lawyers in New Zealand are to;
- Determine the extent of the problem and gain information about it in an order to provide legal advice.
- Prepare and draft legal documents.
- Conduct negotiations on behalf of the client on matters related to the protection of intellectual property rights.
- Provide advice and written opinions on points of IP law.
- Outlines the facts in court and calls up the witnesses to support their client.
- Prepares and critically reviews contracts between parties.
The average salary of intellectual property lawyer in New Zealand:
Even though; the salary of intellectual property lawyer keeps on varying based on his experience, his skills, and the place he is working in. However; on a general level, it can be said that the average salary of Intellectual property lawyer in New Zealand is 120,000 New Zealand dollars per year.
Conclusion:
New Zealand is a place where education is given the top priority whether it is in the field of law or engineering. It comprises some of the globally recognized universities. Hopefully, the above-mentioned post will help readers who aspire to become IP lawyers in New Zealand or who wish to study IP law in New Zealand.
Bibliography
Gönenç Gürkaynak, İ. Y. (2018). Intellectual property law and practice in the blockchain realm. Computer Law & Security Review, 34 (4), 847-862.
pes-admin. (2020, Oct 29th). 12 Pros Cons Of Written Communication.
https://www.professionalessayservice.co.uk/12-pros-cons-of-written-communication/.
