Great news: WIPO’s Inventor Assistance Program (IAP) has reached 50 granted patents.

The IAP, which relies on pro-bono support of volunteer patent attorneys and agents, helps under-resourced inventors and small businesses secure patent protection for their inventions – transforming innovative ideas into commercial assets.

Since it was established in 2015, the IAP has helped inventors from Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Africa.

Office of the General Counsel U.S. Patent and Trademark Office The team is recognized for excellence in enhancing and administering the USPTO Patent Pro Bono Program. In 2022, the program achieved a record for the number of corporations and law firms contributing significant hours to one or more of the regional programs. Additionally, the program grew in number of applicants and prospective applicants. The team worked with 21 regional non-profits to provide free patent preparation and prosecution services to under-resourced inventors and small businesses.

New USPTO study for Congress finds pro bono programs expanding access to the patent system for financially underresourced innovators

The program targets inventors who otherwise couldn't afford the arduous, expensive process of earning a patent through the U.S. Patent...

BIG Interview Series spoke to Jim Patterson of Patterson Thuente IP to discover the origins of the now nationwide network of independently-operated regional programs and what it ...