A patent examiner (or, historically, a patent clerk[1]) is an employee, usually a civil servant with a scientific or engineering background, working at a patent office. Major employers of patent examiners are the European Patent Office (EPO), the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the Japan Patent Office (JPO), and other patent offices around the world.

A patent examiner is a federal employee who examines patent applications to determine whether or not a patent can be granted for various new inventions, many of which are on the cutting edge of tomorrow’s technological breakthroughs. Patent examiners review two main types of applications : design patents and utility patents. Design patents protect the ornamental appearance of an article (e.g., a watch face), while utility patents protect an invention (e.g., the watch itself). A third, less-common type of application is for plant patents, which protect newly invented or discovered asexually reproduced non-tuber plant varieties.

As a patent examiner, you will:

Search all known technological knowledge ("prior art") to ensure that an invention is new and unique Review patent applications to ensure conformity to formal requirements Write office actions communicating your findings on patentability to inventors and patent practitioners

Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in engineering or science. Successful completion of a full 4-year course at an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor’s degree, or higher, that included a major field of study, or specific course requirements, in a variety of engineering and science disciplines.