不请律师-自己申请专利(19): 泄密问题

 

有朋友问：“美国的专利申请原则是‘发明优先’，即使A先于B提出申请，但是虽B后于A的申请却先A拿出/造出来实物，则该专利将被授予B。一般情况下是事实，那么A的专利申请机密是否在B申请之前就存在律师泄密的可能性？特别是当A仅仅是个人或小公司并且A的发明是极其重要的(A此时没有实力去生产出实物)的情况下？”

爱恨专利的答复:

我认为你所指的律师泄密的可能性微乎其微，如果存在的话。

美国专利与商标局对专利代理人和律师有个德才兼备的要求，会在上岗执业前(before being recognized as representatives of applicants or other persons) to show that they are of good moral character and reputation (德) and are possessed of the necessary qualifications (才) to render to applicants or other persons valuable service, advice, and assistance in the presentation or prosecution of their applications or other business before the Office.

泄密这种事关系到专利律师或代理人的饭碗，量他不敢造次，除非利令智昏。

The Director may, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, suspend or exclude(丢饭碗), either generally or in any particular case, from further practice before the Patent and Trademark Office, any person, agent, or attorney shown to be incompetent or disreputable, or guilty of gross misconduct, or who does not comply with the regulations established under section 2(b)(2)(D) of this title, or who shall, by word, circular, letter, or advertising, with intent to defraud in any manner, deceive, mislead, or threaten any applicant or prospective applicant, or other person having immediate or prospective business before the Office. The reasons for any such suspension or exclusion shall be duly recorded. The Director shall have the discretion to designate any attorney who is an officer or employee of the United States Patent and Trademark Office to conduct the hearing required by this section. The United States District Court for the District of Columbia, under such conditions and upon such proceedings as it by its rules determines, may review the action of the Director upon the petition of the person so refused recognition or so suspended or excluded.

与你的问题相关的另外一点是，即使美国专利局的工作人员合法地获悉你的秘密，在18月公开或专利授权之前，他们也有严格的保密义务。更甚者，美国法律对专利局的工作人员利用工作之便以隐蔽方式染指专利利益也有所防范，叫作restrictions on officers and employees as to interest in patents. 美国专利局的工作人员 shall be incapable, during the period of their appointments and for one year thereafter(在职期间或离职一年内), of applying for a patent and of acquiring, directly or indirectly, except by inheritance or bequest, any patent or any right or interest in any patent(染指专利利益的一种方式), issued or to be issued by the Office. In patents applied for thereafter they shall not be entitled to any priority date earlier than one year after the termination of their appointment (离职一年后染指专利利益). 有问题但不想公开交流，请使用[e-mail]