The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in an effort to provide assistance to under-resourced inventors and small businesses will kick off its national tour by hosting a two-day event in Minneapolis through its Patent Pro Bono Program. The free event, co-presented by the USPTO and the Patent Pro Bono Advisory Council a 501(c)(3), will focus on helping under-resourced inventors gather information on how to file patents, access funding and eventually create more jobs.
“By meeting people where they are with these free legal services, the USPTO is working to strengthen our innovation economy by making it more inclusive and equitable for all,” remarked Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director Kathi Vidal. “Pro bono counsel serves as a valuable bridge to the innovation economy by providing critical assistance to underrepresented inventors. For example, our data shows that while women make up about 13% of U.S. inventors, 43% of those who utilize our pro bono services identify as women, while 35% identify as African American or Black, 14% identify as Hispanic American, 5.7% as Asian American or Native Pacific Islander, and 1.5% as Native American.”
The events will take place March 8 and 9 at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management and will recognize the 100th patent awarded in Minnesota as well as provide a day of information and networking about the Patent Pro Bono Program and how it can benefit under-resourced inventors.
The USPTO Patent Pro Bono Program launched ten years ago in Minnesota and is now in all 50 states and inspired a global program, the Inventor Assistance Program (IAP) facilitated by The World Intellectual Property Organization which operates in nine countries worldwide. The Minnesota program is facilitated through LegalCORPS, a nonprofit based in Minneapolis that provides free assistance in non-litigation business law matters to low-income inventors. Since the program…
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