Inventors and small business owners may be eligible for free legal assistance when preparing and filing a patent application. The US Patent and Trademark Office offers the Patent Pro Bono Program which utilizes a nationwide network of independently operated regional programs to match volunteer patent attorneys and agents with financially under-resourced inventors and small businesses to provide free legal assistance in securing patent protection.
To be eligible to participate in the Patent Pro Bono Program, inventors must have demonstrated an understanding of the patent system either by having a provisional application already on file with the USPTO or having successfully completed the USPTO certificate training course. Applicants must have a household gross income of less than three times federal poverty standards, and they must be able to describe the features of their invention and how it works. The USPTO offers additional information and videos, including a link to its certificate training course, on its Patent Pro Bono webpage.
Specific income, knowledge, and invention requirements vary by program and state, and applicants are encouraged to contact their regional program for specific information. Mi Casa Resource Center is the designated New Mexico regional program. Located in Denver, Mi Casa Resource Center utilizes volunteer attorneys who may be located in New Mexico. All New Mexico applications must go through this regional program.
Ready to learn more? The USPTO is hosting an event in Alexandria, VA, that can be joined online from New Mexico. The event, called ‘Patent Pro Bono Program: Pathways to Inclusive Innovation,’ takes place Oct. 11 from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm Mountain Time. Review the meeting agenda.