USPTO Launches New California Inventors Assistance Program

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Inventors Assistance Program will officially launch on October 23, 2012, providing pro bono legal assistance to individuals and businesses that otherwise may be unable to afford legal counsel to guide them through the patent application process. California Lawyers for the Arts, Intel and Fenwick & West have been instrumental members of the steering committee for this project, working closely with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on the creation and launch of this unique and important program for under-resourced inventors and small businesses.

The California Inventors Assistance Program is an example of the mandate in the America Invents Act (AIA) to develop regional centers offering pro bono legal assistance to help under-resourced inventors obtain guidance during the patent application process. With a pilot program already successfully running in Minnesota, California was a natural choice for another phase of this USPTO initiative. California is filled with independent entrepreneurs and inventors, many of whom lack access to affordable legal services essential to securing their intellectual property.

California Lawyers for the Arts will serve as the Program Administrator for this initiative in California, accepting applications for a $125 administrative fee. After a financial eligibility screening, selected applicants will receive pro bono services valued at $10-$15,000 per patent application.

In order to outline the program more fully, the steering committee will hold an event at Fenwick & West's offices in Mountain View, CA on October 23, 2012 from 6-8pm. Free MCLE credit is available for attorney attendees.

Speakers at the event will include John Calvert, Senior Advisor with the Office of Innovation Development at the USPTO; Stuart Meyer, Partner at Fenwick & West; Alma Robinson, Executive Director of California Lawyers for the Arts; and MJ Bogatin, Co-President of the Board of California Lawyers for the Arts from Bogatin, Corman & Gold.

For more information on the application process for the California Inventors Assistance Program, please contact California Lawyers for the Arts at www.calawyersforthearts.org or 415.775.7200 x107.

For attorneys interested in offering services on a pro bono basis or providing financial support, please contact [email protected] or 415.775.7200 x109.

For more information on the event hosted at Fenwick & West's offices, please contact Randall Johnson at [email protected] or 650.335.7608. 

SOURCE Fenwick & West LLP