Low income inventors in Mississippi and Alabama are now eligible for free legal assistance through the Pro Bono Patent Program (PBPP). The PBPP is run jointly by the Birmingham Volunteer Lawyers Program and the Intellectual Property Section of the Alabama Bar. If you have an idea that could be patented, and your household income was below twice the national poverty level last year, you could qualify for free legal assistance in obtaining a patent.
To qualify, the invention must be the kind of subject matter that can be patented, such as a machine, manufactured article, chemical substance, or physical process. The inventor must be willing to take online training offered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and conduct a search of their database for other similar inventions. The inventor is also responsible for all expenses apart from legal fees, such as the official filing fee. Once the patent is granted (or finally refused), the inventor is responsible for turning the invention into a successful business.
Applying for and obtaining a patent can cost from $5,000-20,000 in legal fees. This is often an expense a starting entrepreneur cannot afford. However, failure to obtain a patent will allow larger established companies to imitate an invention and sell it cheaply using their established distribution networks, which can drive the inventor out of business. Consequently, free legal assistance early in the process can put an inventor on firm footing to establish intellectual property rights over the invention, which can be used to keep imitations from competing. To apply, please visit the website at http://vlpbirmingham.org/patent-program/ or call (205) 250-5198.