Patents and Trademarks: Education

Getting started with a patent!

What is patentable?

• Useful: real, not a theory

• New/novel: should not exist already (search!)

• "Non-obvious" to someone with skills in that area/art

What options do you have to apply?

• Provisional Patent (application, valid for 1 year):

  • Inexpensive ($65 for micro entity)

  • Not examined

  • Can buy time for raising money/finding legal help

• Non-Provisional Patent (can be granted, valid for 15-20 years depending on type)

  • Expensive (fees vary - make sure to file as a micro entity!)

  • Fully examined

  • If using provisional patent as basis, make sure to keep the same otherwise lose previous protection

  • Recommend getting help, preferably legal help for applying (how to find free/low-cost legal help)

DC Regional Area PTRCs & USPTO Locations:

• Howard University (DC): libraryguides.howard.edu/ip

• University of Maryland (College Park, MD): lib.guides.umd.edu/patent_tm

• USPTO Northeast Regional Office (Alexandria, VA): uspto.gov/about-us/uspto-locations/northeast

(And a bit further away)

• University of Maryland, Eastern Shore (Princess Anne, MD): umes.edu/fdl/

• James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA): lib.jmu.edu/library-locations/rose-library/

• Free Library of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA): freelibrary.org/programs/bric/patents-trademarks/

Looking for support in another area?  Check USPTO's locations page to find support near you: uspto.gov/about-us/uspto-office-locations

(Check out the Basics tab too for some quick intro videos!)