Patent specialists in Japan are known as benrishi and must take a qualifying exam to receive the title. Benrishi are allowed to practice a variety of intellectual property law (patent, trademark, copyright, unfair competition and trade secret) and are given the power to represent clients in litigation and arbitration within the area specified by Patent Attorney Law in Japan. Barristers (bengoshi) are also qualified to work as patent attorneys in Article 3 of Practicing Attorney Law in Japan. A patent attorney shall automatically be admitted to the Japan Patent Attorneys Association (Patent Attorney Act Art. 60). New Zealand To become registered as a Patent Attorney in New Zealand, one must: be a New Zealand citizen, Commonwealth citizen (British subject) or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland. be aged 21 (twenty one) years of age or over. have passed the New Zealand Patent Attorney Examinations. be of good character. have been employed for a period(s) of at least three years by a Patent Attorney in New Zealand, The Patent Office, or in a form of employment that offers substantially similar practical experience - see section 100 of the Patents Act 1953: Registration as a Patent Attorney may then lead to election as a Fellow in the New Zealand Institute of Patent Attorneys. Moreover, Australian Patent Attorneys are able to obtain registration to become New Zealand Patent Attorneys, and vice versa, as a result of a trans Tasman agreement between the two countries. Consequently, a large number of Australian Patent Attorneys are also New Zealand Patent Attorneys. Russia To become registered as a patent attorney in Russia, one must: be a Russian citizen, be a permanent resident in Russia, be aged 18 years of age or over, to have a higher education degree, to have not less than 4 years of an experience in the particular sphere (see below), to pass a qualification exam. There are some specializations of patent attorneys: inventions and utility models, industrial designs, trademarks and service marks, names of places of origin of goods, computer programs, database, integrated circuits topologies. The qualification exam shall be held on each of above-mentioned specializations separately. After successful passing the qualification exam a person is included in the register of patent attorneys which is maintained by the Federal Service for Intellectual Property. After that, the Federal Service for Intellectual Property issues a certificate of patent attorney to a person who passed