Trade Mark Practice Professional Certificate

Applicants should normally have either:

• successfully undertaken a course of study in trade mark law approved for the purpose by the Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPReg) and have employment in trade mark related practice (defined as a trademark attorney's office, solicitor's office, barristers' chambers, or the relevant department of a company, public authority or other public sector organisation, or a professional body)
• in the opinion of the programme leader and of IPReg, have equivalent qualifications or experience that will equip them to complete the course successfully.

We specify these minimum entry requirements, but we will assess you individually on your ability to benefit from the course. We sometimes offer places on the basis of non-standard entry qualifications, and industrial or professional experience.

English language entry requirements

If English is not your first language you need to show us that your language skills are strong enough for intensive academic study. We usually ask for an IELTS test and we accept some alternative English language tests.

For a list of our language requirements please visit our English language page.

If you need to do a pre-sessional English language course to meet the English requirements please visit our pre-sessional English course page.

Help and support

If you have any questions about your qualifications or about making an application to the University please contact our international team for advice.

What is the Professional Certificate in Trade Mark Practice (PCTMP)?

The Professional Certificate in Trade Mark Practice (“PCTMP”) is the final vocation course and assessment for trainee registered trade mark and designs attorneys. As confirmed above, the PCTMP is a part time course and is assessed by oral and written examinations.

It is important to note that it is a “Professional Certificate” rather than a “Post Graduate Certificate”. The course has been designed to help you to develop practical skills alongside work in the office. The use of a professional certificate as a learning and assessment framework is deliberate. A Professional Certificate focuses on the development of knowledge, understanding and skills in professional and work-based practice. For example, you will see that there are assessments in Advocacy before the Registry, Searching and Clearance Reports, and Interviewing and Advising. These are the practical skills used by trade mark attorneys on a daily basis. The course seeks to develop case analysis and problem problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to evaluate evidence, arguments and assumptions in order to reach sound judgements. The ability to communicate with clients effectively, both orally and in writing, is central to the teaching and assessment strategy.

Am I ready to take the PCTMP?

This is an important question for you, and for your employer.

The IPReg Competency Framework is a useful central criteria and we recommend that you discuss the framework with your employer.

Review both the general skills set and the technical competency requirements.

• Look at the type of work you are actually doing in the office. Don’t guess.
  As a guide, set aside a period of five days and look, in a critical way, at your timesheet or diary. Consider how much time you spend on administrative or procedural work or substantive legal advice, drafting, research and reporting;
• How many of the IPReg technical competencies can you claim as part of your training to date?
  For instance, have you completed a first draft of a specification? Have you helped to prepare a Clearance Report with a colleague? Have you drafted any witness statements for use in Registry Proceedings or coexistence agreements? Whilst your draft may not have formed much of the final version you should be able to point to an attempt, or to a review of a draft completed by a more experienced colleague.
• Do I need to do more work in the office before starting the PCTMP?
  If you find that you cannot claim most of the technical competencies at the IPREG Basic Level, and at least some of the competencies at the intermediate level, you may need to do some additional work before you are ready to undertake the PCTMP.

What should I do if I decide that I am not ready to take the PCTMP this year?

This is a personal choice. Review the competencies and reflect, critically, on where you are right now. It is important for you to get the most out of the course and to be able to contribute to discussions and debate. In the past, some students have suggested that they found it helpful (or would have found it helpful) to “have a break” between the Postgraduate/Foundation year and the PCTMP. In addition, if you have diagnosed a gap in your knowledge or skill base, think about the best way to address it;

• Do you need to do some additional drafting work?
• Would it help to be seconded in house (if in private practice) or to a trade mark or law firm if, you work for a brand owner?
• Could you ask for support from a mentor to help you to work through some of the IPREG Competencies?
• Do you need to do more oppositions and contentious work if you work only on filings?
• Would you find it helpful to speak with a PCTMP alumnus on an informal basis to discuss the workload and how best to prepare for the course?

Successful completion of the PCTMP is not the end of the road to qualification. You must satisfy IPReg, by way of Statutory Declaration, of your “substantial experience” in trade mark work and your character and suitability to be a be a Trade Mark and Designs Attorney.