RMN'S Blog

Free Legal Advice for Colorado Inventors

Date: July 28, 2015

As an aspiring inventor, the patent filing process can be intimidating. There are many steps in the patent filing process that can discourage an inventor from patenting his or her invention or idea because they cannot afford to pay for the legal fees that come along with seeking advice. However, thanks to a new program, inventors in the Colorado area can now seek legal help when it comes to filing for patents for free.

 

The new program, called ProBoPat, was launched on May 12th, and plans to connect low-income inventors with volunteer attorneys. These attorneys will provide aspiring inventors with legal assistance when it comes to filing for a patent. The patent process can sometimes cost thousands of dollars in legal fees; many inventors do not have the funds to pay for such fees, and can be discouraged from having their inventions patented and possibly created. This program will open doors to inventors who have always wanted to patent their ideas but did not have the money or legal help to do so.

 

In addition, the creation of ProBoPat will enhance the USPTO’s presence in the local Denver area, and grow its partnership with Denver’s Mi Casa Resource Center, a non-profit organization that serves the area’s growing Latino community. The center hopes the partnership with ProBoPat will give people within the Latino and minority community the opportunity to patent their ideas and inventions, and move on into entrepreneurial career paths.

 

Similar programs are also planned to launch in Wyoming, New Mexico, and Utah in the upcoming months as well.

 

What do you think about the ProBoPat program? Do you think this should be a nationwide program?