Independent inventors who need to speak to an examiner at the USPTO about a patent application may be interested in this virtual program to be offered by the WVU Libraries in Morgantown. The new United States Patent and Trademark Office Virtual Assistance Program will be offered at the Evansdale Library beginning March 1.
While the USPTO recommends using a registered attorney or agent to assist in preparing and prosecuting a patent application, it also recognizes that the cost of such assistance is prohibitive for many applicants, particularly independent inventors and small business concerns. The new Virtual Assistance Pilot Program will provide greater availability to those needing assistance with the patent process.
Pro se inventors (those who file patent applications without the assistance of a registered patent attorney or agent) will be able to come to the Morgantown PTRC to meet with a USPTO patent examiner via a WebEx connection. PTRCs are a nationwide network of public, state and academic libraries that are authorized by the USPTO to disseminate patent and trademark information and support diverse intellectual property needs of the public.
This new service is free and open to all pro se inventors willing to travel to the Morgantown PTRC. Inventors must make an advance appointment by emailing Marian Armour-Gemmen at marmour@wvu.edu. The examiner, who will be specifically matched to each inventor’s needs, will provide assistance with the patent application process but cannot dispense legal advice or make patentability determinations prior to an application being filed. Allow two business days for an appointment to be scheduled.
For more information, contact program facilitator Marian Amour-Gemmen, WVU’s PTRC Librarian, at marmour@wvu.edu, or 304.293.9758 or 304.293.4696.