Patents Application Assistance Center
Inventors/Entrepreneurs Resources: Home
Application Filing Assistances
- Patent Quality Chat The Patent Quality Chat series is designed to provide information on patent quality topics and gather your input on a regular basis via an easy, webinar format. Webinar such as "Examiners Provide Their View on Prepared Applications (2017)", "Filing Structured Text (DOCX): A Smarter Way to File (2019)" and "Subject Matter Eligibility: Guidance & Examination Resources (2018)" to name a few.
- Inventor Info Chat Inventor Info Chat series is designed to provide inventors with relevant information on topics that assist with applying for a patent. Webinar such as "How to set up MyUSPTO account (2019)", "Claim drafting (2018)", and "How to use EFS-Web to file a Patent Application (2017)".
- Basic Patent Training for Independent Inventors and Small Businesses If you are applying for pro bono service for your patent application, watching this video may be required.
- IP eLearning modules by Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA) -- USPTO Short videos on different topics in English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian. These modules cover all areas of intellectual property protection which include trade secrets, patents, copyrights, trademarks, geographical indications, enforcement and trade. -- USPTO
- Patent Center (USPTO) "Patent Center is a new tool for electronic filing and management of patent applications. Patent Center and DOCX filing features."
- Patent Center Training On this webpage, on the left side of screen, scroll down there is "Patent Center beta and DOCX training" Register to attend training webinars. See the Patent Center User guide from the "Applications and Guides" tab.
- Types of patent applications and proceedings (USPTO) This includes Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) filing information.
- Nonprovisional (Utility) Patent Application Filing Guide A Guide to Filing a Utility Patent Application.
- File patent applications with DOCX documents "As a part of our USPTO application systems modernization effort, filing formats for patent applications have been expanded to include DOCX format. DOCX filing was made available to all EFS-Web Registered, Private PAIR users, and Patent Center users. Users who file in DOCX text will be able to access their submissions and office actions in DOCX and XML formats, along with the regular PDF format."
- Patent Cooperation Treaty--PCT (USPTO Guide) "The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) is an international treaty with more than 150 Contracting States. The PCT makes it possible to seek patent protection for an invention simultaneously in a large number of countries by filing a single “international” patent application instead of filing several separate national or regional patent applications."
- USPTO fee Schedule Regular fee, Small entity fee and Micro entity fee are listed in different column.
- Micro Entity Status Gross Income Limit Check the current qualifying gross income limit for micro entity status and link to the application form.
- Patent Maintenance fees Maintenance fees pay at 3.5 years, 7.5 years and 11.5 years. You can petition to delay payment to maintaining a patent in force.
- PCT fess in US dollars It includes regular, small entity and micro entity fee. Fee code is also provided from this webpage.
- Inventor's Handbook (EPO) The purpose of this Inventors' Handbook is to provide you with basic guidance on all the key stages of turning an invention into a commercial product. Or perhaps we should say the key stages of turning an idea into an enterprise, if we are to widen our definition of 'invention' to include novel processes, business methods, social interactions etc.
- Introduction to Intellectual PropertyAn open resource book by Rice University's Openstax.
- Patents demystified : an insider's guide to protecting ideas and inventions (2015)Call Number: KF3114 .A73 2015; location: GOV-PAT
- Inventor's notebook : a patent it yourself companionCall Number: KF3120 .Z9 G75 2008; location: GOV-PAT
- How to make patent drawingsCall Number: T223 .U3 L6 2015; location: GOV-PAT
- Patent pending in 24 hours The provisional patent application -- Deciding whether to file a provisional application : the seven hurdles -- Finding previous inventions -- Drafting the provisional paten application : Part 1 Drawing your invention -- Drafting the provisional patent application : Part 2 Describing your invention -- Filing and beyond.Call Number: KF3120 .Z9 S75 2016; location: GOV-PAT
- Nondisclosure agreements : protect your trade secrets and moreCall Number: KF3197 .Z9 F57 2001; location: GOV-PAT
- Patent fundamentals for scientists and engineersCall Number: T339 .G67 2000; location: GOV-PAT
- A critical guide to intellectual propertyCall Number: K1401 .C75 2017; location: STACKS
Legal Assistances and Resources
- Certificate Training Course Required for Pro Bono Services.
- Law School Clinic Certification Program The Law School Clinic Certification program allows law students enrolled in a participating law school's clinic program to practice Intellectual Property Law before the USPTO under the strict guidance of a Law School Faculty Clinic Supervisor.
- Legal Clinic -- South Texas College of Law Houston South Texas College of Law provide Pro Bono service for filing your patent application. Pro Bono Services only for the legal assistance. Applicants still need to pay other fees. Click on "Contact Us" on the left side of screen to request for assistance.
- State Bar of Texas Provides links to various legal groups all over the state of Texas that provide free services to those with limited incomes.
- Houston Intellectual Property Law Association Under Member Center pull down for patents and see the educational background/specialties of HIPLA members.
Patent Laws and Regulations
- Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) by WIPO Background information on PCT from World Intellectual Property Office for filing abroad.
Inventors & Entrepreneurs Resources
- SCORE -- Houston Founded in 1964, SCORE (formerly known as Service Corps Of Retired Executives) is a valuable network of tens of thousands volunteers who, through 300+ chapters nationwide, offer small business entrepreneurs practical business advice at no charge for the Life of Your Business (from conception to profitable growth).
- Small Business Development Center (University of Houston) The University of Houston Texas Gulf Coast Small Business Development Center Network provides business advising, access to training, tools and resources to help small businesses start, grow, expand and succeed.
- Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP) The Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program provides a unique and revolutionary service to Texas small businesses by providing them with FREE engineering support from some of the most highly qualified engineers in the world, rocket scientists.
- Inventors Eye (USPTO) Inventors Eye is the USPTO’s newsletter for the independent inventor community.
- Journeys of Innovations Each month, our Journeys of Innovation series tells the stories of inventors or entrepreneurs whose groundbreaking innovations have made a positive difference in the world.
- STOPfakes "STOPfakes.gov is a one-stop shop for U.S. government tools and resources on intellectual property rights (IPR). The federal agencies behind STOPfakes.gov have developed a number of resources to educate and assist businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as consumers, government officials, and the general public."
- Startup resources The USPTO's hub for startup resources provides links you can use to find help as you address the intellectual property (IP) challenges specific to startups, including assessing your IP portfolio, securing funding, and guarding against costly infringement litigation.
Other Useful Tools
- PatentsView "The PatentsView search tool allows users to explore 40 years of data on patenting activity in the US. Use the tool to discover technological, regional, and individual-level trends through several search filters and multiple view options."-- from PatentsView.
- Patent Statistics The Patent Technology Monitoring Team (PTMT) periodically issues general statistics and miscellaneous reports that profile patenting activity at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
- Using Citation mangers (Queens University) Patent Librarian Michael White compares reference managers and supported patent databases and file formats.
Assistance for Inventors
- Inventors Assistance CenterHours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, except federal holidays
Toll-free: 800-PTO-9199 (800-786-9199)
Web Address: library.rice.edu | Physical Address: 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005 | Mailing Address: MS-44, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251-1892 | Phone: 713-348-5698 | © 2014 Rice University