The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the National Institute of Standards and Technology recently unveiled an updated beta version of the web-based IP Awareness Assessment Tool, which is designed to help manufacturers, small businesses, entrepreneurs and independent inventors easily assess their knowledge of intellectual property (IP) as it relates to their IP asset protection needs.
IP rights are a key concern of many small businesses owners who often do not know the extent of their IP assets. By assessing their need for IP protection and exercising the rights they hold to their innovations, businesses often secure significant competitive advantages. The IP Awareness Assessment Tool will help educate independent inventors and small businesses on the intellectual property protections available to them as they seek to turn their ideas into reality and bring them to market.
Users answer a comprehensive set of questions regarding IP, after which the tool provides a set of training resources tailored to specifically identified needs. The tool is available on USPTO's website at www.uspto.gov/inventors/assessment/.
Olshan's IP attorneys are also available to assist in identifying and taking appropriate steps to protect IP assets. For more information on our IP Practice click here.
*Mr. MacDonald was formerly a lawyer with Olshan's IP Department.