As of June 28, 2021, licensees became responsible for conducting their practices in accordance with the rules of ethics set out in the new CPATA Code of Professional Conduct. For licensees who are also lawyers, the Code will likely look familiar, as it is similar to the Model Code of Conduct for law societies. For patent agents, you will see similarities with the IPIC 2016 Code. For trademark agents, this type of ethical framework and set of rules may be new to you.
Licensees can contact CPATA anytime with questions about their obligations under the Code through the Ethics Inquiry Form on our website. The purpose of an Ethics Inquiry is to provide guidance to licensees who have a question with respect to their ethical obligations. An Ethics Inquiry is an opportunity for a licensee to review and analyze their obligations under the Code of Professional Conduct and/or the legislative and regulatory regime of CPATA with an ethics advisor.
CPATA will regularly publish Ethics Analyses pieces based on submitted questions. These analyses demonstrate the application of the Code in real life scenarios and proactively give licensees access to ethical advice.