uspto_sealI got some clarification on the Inventors Eye e-zine the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office launched this week.

This e-zine is entirely put together in-house, so budget expenditure is not an issue. And because the bi-monthly publication will be put together by USPTO staff and is an Agency publication, it will be free and there will be no advertising support or paid subscriptions.

You can sign up for free here.

While the first edition’s cover story from Director David Kappos made a case for patent reform, the publication won’t be a platform or propaganda pamphlet for the pending legislation, USPTO officials say. However, since patent reform is the elephant in the room and has received renewed momentum, the USPTO thought it made a natural subject to address a subject that many independent inventors may not be fully informed about.

Motivation for launching the e-zine was driven in part by the USPTO’s critics, who often question what the Office does for independent inventors. The publication is a tangible way of confronting the criticism and demonstrating its existing and ongoing outreach initiatives, officials say.

Going forward, Inventors Eye will continue to highlight USPTO resources and how independent inventors can avoid expensive mistakes.