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[thought001]

Folks, I am a real old timer patent agent here, and I've been waiting and watching a long time...but to my surprise, I have not seen a change in the telecommuting front for the past decade.

Why is this? I just don't get why patent firms are so reluctant to allow patent attorneys and agents to work from home. It is a profession so well suited for working from home! My goodness, it's all computer and paper work. Furthermore, with today's technology, discussions and conferences can easily be performed remotely, if this is an issue.

The few telecommuting opportunities I've seen have only been for software, engineering, and business method specialists. Why so few, and why only these professions? For example, I have not once, not once, seen a telecommuting opportunity for a patent agent/atty specializing in chemistry.

It is truly incredible. I thought that even if most firms would not consider this option, at least the concept of virtual firms would become more popular. But no, still the same one or two virtual patent firms in the entire United States!

What's wrong with us? The US administration has repeatedly made clear the continued goal of saving on energy costs and becoming more energy independent. Then why, why, have I never heard a word from the govt giving [u]incentives[/u], like tax incentives, to businesses that include a telecommuting component. This is what we need, folks. Unfortunately, unless the govt provides a concrete monetary incentive, businesses will not change. In my opinion, and I think many would agree, telecommuting is probably one of the most significant strategies for the U.S. and other countries to save extraordinary amounts of money on energy costs while greatly benefiting the environment at the same time.

Please write to your officials asking them to push the government to provide tax incentives to businesses that incorporate a telecommuting component. We suffer from such a degree of inertia, it is so frustrating. My goodness, twenty years ago, most cars should have already been running on hydrogen. At this time, we should not be thinking if fuel cell cars will ever be a possibility; rather, they should've been commonplace for at least the last 20 years and we should be thinking about what new and better model of fuel cell car we should get. Everything is too slow for me and most of my patent buddies. I think most of us patent practitioners are visionary types. At least I am, so this world is very frustrating for people like me.

Let's all do our part in making the right changes! Thank you all for your attention.

Thought001 

[LivingItUp]

Unfortunately, unless the govt provides a concrete monetary incentive, businesses will not change.

If it makes economic sense then they will change on their own. If it doesn't make economic sense, then that is when you need the government to step in offer money to business to make it in their best economic interest.

The problem with giving tax incentives is that it distorts proper decision making, and in the end you will likely pay more in taxes and debt, then whatever the original energy cost savings was suppose to be. So, in the end -- you are worse off.

The government offered a "first time homebuyer credit" tax incentive the last three years to encourage buyers to buy homes. At the same time, home values are still dropping.  Now we have all these new Americans "first time home buyers" who are underwater on their mortgages.

The government is good at setting up perverse incentives that go against economic sense.

[MYK]

Just because a firm doesn't OFFER telecommuting doesn't mean it isn't being done.  Mostly, it seems to be attorneys who have been with a firm for a few years and who have proven reliable, who then get to work from home (or, in the case of (ahem) certain adjunct law professors, from an anteroom to the classroom in the middle of a lecture) when they need to.  Of course, they're also working sixteen hours a day, including weekends, plus any relevant dream time ("and then the court reporter stuck an electronic fish onto the judge's head. . . .").

[vman11]

Why is this? I just don't get why patent firms are so reluctant to allow patent attorneys and agents to work from home. It is a profession so well suited for working from home!

Hmm ... this could be all wrong, but my theory is as follows:

When an entity (law firm) is reaming clients at $ 300 - 1000 /Hr; they possibly want to portray an image that the attorneys are coming into work, like most other people, knocking heads together, perhaps even discussing your case with a colleague face to face and sweating it out. It seems more to do with the image than the efficiencies involved.

However, a lot of work is indeed done remotely. All the off shored work by default is done remotely ...

As cost pressures escalate in this profession and there's increased pressure to draft and prosecute at lower billing rates, it seems like more efficient work methodologies would be explored.

[DogDayPM 9er9er9er]

I know a fair number of experienced patent attorneys who work from home on a "most of the week" basis, but they are still expected to be in the office a day or so each week.  I do know one prep/pros/opinion only chemical attorney who works solely from home  Special circumstance, a new firm really wanted to recruit her but not her husband who also was at her old firm.

I'm trying to remember a specific firm that allowed agents and attorneys to be remote... ...does Cardinal IP have a legal branch or is it all just searching?  Anyway, that's the name in my head but clearly it could be wrong.

On the incentives, I've heard of a number of state gov'ts giving corporate incentives to allow teleworking, but I don't know how substantial they were.

[Wiscagent]

...does Cardinal IP have a legal branch or is it all just searching?

Cardinal Intellectual Property (CIP) is associated with Cardinal Law Group (CLG).  I don't know the exact nature of their business relationship.  CIP split off from CLG a couple of years ago.