-- Online service is designed
to help manufacturers, small businesses, entrepreneurs and independent inventors
Washington — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership
(MEP) today 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).
“This Administration knows
that American entrepreneurs have always focused on the next great idea that will grow our economy,
create jobs and drive U.S. global competition,” said Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual
Property and Acting Director of the USPTO Teresa Stanek Rea. “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.”
Intellectual property is 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 enables users to measure and increase their awareness of
IP issues, relevant to their creative projects and business goals. 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/.
Stay current with the USPTO by subscribing to receive e-mail updates. Visit our Subscription
Center at www.uspto.gov/subscribe.
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