The modern IP family: Is it the dawning of a new age for patent

Andrew Skodyn was quoted in the April, 2015 issue of Canadian Lawyer addressing updates and developments currently taking place in the arena of life sciences.

"Trademark and patent agents often work side by side with their lawyer colleagues in intellectual property practices and law firms, but unlike lawyers they are not self-regulated. While patent and trademark agents often have scientific backgrounds or professional designations as engineers, they aren't bound by the same requirements for continuing professional development and other professional and ethical regulations as lawyers are...

...'Doctors and accountants have continuing education, why don't agents have it? I think that's just a sensible update to give confidence to people that has the hallmarks of professionalism,' says Andrew Skodyn, a partner with Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP. Skodyn does trademark and patent litigation and says he doesn't think CIPO is looking to fix a problem but rather establish a framework. He has handled some patent agent negligence files but says they are not as common as medical, legal, or accounting cases. He notes that right now there isn't a formal process by which complaints to CIPO are handled."