Patterson Thuente IP was instrumental in the formation of the Patent Pro Bono Program (PPBP) — the first program of its kind in the United States. Now, we are working with Brown Venture Group to increase opportunity for minority and under-resourced inventors not only to protect their ideas, with help from the program, but also to profit from those ideas in the marketplace.
(L-R): Derrick Brent, Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office; Dr. Paul Campbell, Managing Partner of Brown Venture Group; Jim Patterson, Principal and patent attorney at Patterson Thuente IP
A 2019 USPTO study found that just 12.8% of all inventors named on U.S. patents are women, while a separate Harvard University study said that white individuals are 3x more likely to invent than Black individuals. 2021 data from regional programs indicate that the PPBP is succeeding in increasing access to the patent system for BIPOC individuals; Almost 2,000 patent applications have been filed via the program.
We are working to remove market barriers and allow under-resourced inventors to reap the benefits of their innovation. Stay tuned!
Jim Patterson and Paul Campbell pose for a picture outside USPTO offices in Alexandria, Virginia
Thank you to USPTO Director Kathi Vidal; USPTO Deputy Director Derrick Brent; Dr. Paul Campbell and Brown Venture Group, and the USPTO for this conversation and continued partnership in pro bono ventures!