What is an attorney?
An attorney on WATS refers to a corporation or law office that is registered with WATS and conducts trademark search orders. Attorneys use an integrated reporting system to prepare and deliver a trademark search report ordered by the user within the deadline. The WATS attorney policy limits the number of attorneys per country. Furthermore, all attorneys on WATS are carefully screened.
Benefits of working with the WATS platform
- Access to diverse clients who are in need of trademark searches from all around the world (global companies, brand consulting companies, universities, research institutes, individuals, etc.). WATS’ attorneys can minimize sales efforts while focusing on working on new orders through WATS.
- Our platform’s integrated reporting system allows WATS’ attorneys to decrease the time and effort required to prepare a trademark search report, making it possible to provide a better service with competitive fees for clients.
Registration Process
Application
submission
submission
Application
review
review
Application
approval
approval
Approval notification
sent to attorney
sent to attorney
- Attorney registration and withdrawal
- Reporting
- Fees
- Other inquiries
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Can attorneys register under their individual name?No, an attorney may only register under the name of a legal corporation or office (excluding individual freelancers). After registration, the trademark expert belonging to that legal corporation or office can be added as a ”member.”
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When is the recruitment period for new attorneys?The number of attorneys for each country is determined by the number of orders on WATS. Therefore, there is no fixed recruitment period for new attorneys. When the number of orders in a particular country increases, there will be a notice of recruitment of new attorneys.
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In what cases does the compulsory withdrawal of an attorney occur?If issues, such as delayed or non-submission of reports, persist and exceed the limits set by WATS, the attorney may be subject to a warning notice or compulsory withdrawal.
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How are reports written?The report provided by WATS generally does not require attorneys to write a full narrative. Distinctiveness, similarity with prior marks, judgment on registration, and usability are expressed in the report as a percentage (in 10% increments). However, if specific remarks are necessary, additional comments may be added to the report.
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Do the reporting deadlines take into account weekends in the country of attorney?Reports are expected to be completed and sent within 7 days (including weekends and holidays) from the date of order by clients.
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How is a trademark search conducted when there is a long holiday?When there is a long holiday of 3 or more days, you may change your account’s status as “inactive” in advance and not receive any orders during that period. Attorneys should submit their reports within 7 days of the order date, as usual, regardless of the holiday length, if they do not change the active status to inactive.
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How is the attorney’s fee determined?WATS calculates the range of an attorney’s fee for each country. Attorneys shall then decide on their specific pricing within this range.
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How are attorney’s fees paid?Attorneys are expected to receive their attorney’s fees in cycles of 1-2 months and to be paid by WATS.
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If I register as an attorney, do I have to pay a fee to WATS?The WATS platform feeis calculated as a portion of the attorney’s fee, which is determined according to the terms of the agreement between WATS and the attorney and may vary depending on the attorney’s annual performance.
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Can I submit an order for a trademark search with my attorney account?No, it is not possible to order a trademark search with an attorney account. You can, however, sign up as a user (using the same email account as the attorney account, if desired) and then make a trademark search order.
If you have any additional questions, please contact the WATS Support. support@watsglobal.com