Regulating the trade mark attorney profession

Regulation of Chartered Trade Mark Attorneys is important for benefit of our profession and consumers.

Spring Conference audience applause

We are named by law as the approved regulator for the trade mark attorney profession (the Legal Services Act 2007).

It is a requirement for the regulatory function to be separate from the main representative organisation. We therefore delegate the regulation of the trade mark attorney profession to the Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPReg).

We established IPReg in 2010 with the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) to be the independent regulatory body for the trade mark attorney and patent attorney professions.

For the trade mark attorney profession IPReg:

  • Sets the education and training requirements for qualification as a trade mark attorney
  • Manages the requirements for continuous professional development (CPD) to ensure skills and expertise are maintained at a high level
  • Sets and maintains a code of conduct
  • Handles complaints of professional misconduct against trade mark attorneys and where appropriate takes disciplinary or other action.

IPReg consists of a two regulation boards - a trade mark attorney regulation board and a patent attorney regulation board. It has a chair and four lay members along with three patent attorneys and three trade mark attorneys.

Following the granting of our Royal Charter and the launch of CITMA in 2016, CITMA has been authorised by ‘ITMA’ to carry out the day to day responsibilities of ‘ITMA’ as an approved regulator.