Associate Commissioner for Innovation Development Richard Maulsby
Q: As an independent inventor I need help writing a patent application. But I don’t have the money to pay for a patent attorney. Where can I go for help?
Associate Commissioner for Innovation Development Richard Maulsby
A: There are a couple things that you can do.
First, you could see if there are any patent attorneys who might be willing to offer free or low-cost help. This is usually referred to as pro bono service.
The USPTO has been working with a number of intellectual property bar associations across the country to encourage them to form pro bono services for independent inventors. On June 8, Minneapolis launched the first such service as a pilot.
The Minneapolis pilot asks inventors to do a couple things before they can enter the program. Each participant needs to attend a training program on intellectual property and is required to do a patent search to see if their ideas are new.
Inventors can perform a search online using the USPTO website along with other online search engines or visit a Patent and Trademark Depository Library – see the list on the USPTO website.
Inventors also will have to file a provisional application before being able to enroll in the Minnesota pilot program. To be eligible, inventors have to be within certain income levels and pay a small charge for administrative costs. Once all the requirements are met, an inventor will be matched with an attorney who will provide legal assistance.
The USPTO will be launching training modules on the independent inventor page (www.uspto.gov/inventors/index.jsp) in the near future.
The United Inventors Association also offers various training packages on its website, www.uiausa.org.
You also can write your own patent application.
There are a number of self-help books available that you can use as a guide in preparing an application. We strongly suggest that inventors learn as much as possible about the patenting process before venturing forward.
The USPTO will be holding two independent inventor conferences this year. The first will be in Pasadena, Calif., Aug. 19-20; the second will be in Miami, Nov. 4-5.
For more information and to register go to www.uspto.gov.
Got a question for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office? Contact [email protected]. Be sure to include “Ask the Commish” in the subject line.
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