Patents and Trademarks: Inventor/Entrepreneur Resources

The Dayton community is here to support you and your product idea from a coffee shop sketch to prototype to product launch and beyond. This listing provides local resources for your startup.

Whether you’re a small business entrepreneur, a nonprofit fundraiser, or an individual considering career or college options, LAUNCH Point is your destination for expertise, services and tools for success. Free workshops and programs provide important networking opportunities and useful information for businesses, job seekers and nonprofit organizations. Visit LAUNCH Point on the 2nd Floor of the Main Library.

Unscrupulous promoters take advantage of an inventor's enthusiasm for a new product or service. They not only urge inventors to patent their ideas or invention, but they also make false and exaggerated claims about the market potential of the invention or idea. This FTC web site gives tips on how to avoid being scammed.

Please be aware that private companies not associated with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) often use trademark application and registration information from the USPTO's databases to mail or e-mail trademark-related solicitations. Trademark applicants and registrants continue to submit a significant number of inquiries and complaints to the USPTO about such solicitations, which may include offers: (1) for legal services; (2) for trademark monitoring services; (3) to record trademarks with U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and (4) to "register" trademarks in the company's own private registry.

This is the Inventors Council of Dayton's online discussion group. Inventors, IP professionals, marketers and others share and participate in online discussions about issues affecting independent inventors. The local meeting of the Inventors Council of Dayton is held the first Wednesday of each month. For more information and directions to the meetings contact; Stephen Frey, President at SWFDAY@aol.com

The Ohio Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Program is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. The SBDC program is also funded in part by the Ohio Development Services Agency.

The Entrepreneur Center researches teaches and disseminates the critical skill and values that enable entrepreneurs to succeed. In order to foster economic development, The Entrepreneur Center maintains a network of other successful technology-based entrepreneurs for self-help and peer support.

Dayton SCORE provides access to high quality business advice and training by certified Dayton SCORE mentors. These business services are provided in one-on-one meetings and workshops designed to meet the needs of start-up and existing small businesses.

MEETING: 1st Wednesday of the month at 7:15 pm, check ICOD's Google Groups.

The meeting is held at Central Christian Church, 1200 Forrer Blvd. in Kettering. We gather around 7:15 pm with the presentation starting around 7:30 pm. The meeting is over around 8:45 pm.

The USPTO's Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional Office (MWRO) is located in the Stroh Building at 300 River Place Drive, Detroit, Michigan. As the first USPTO regional office (opened July 2012), our goal is to promote innovation and stimulate the economy by connecting entrepreneurs to government resources, supporting students and teachers through our STEM education programs including professional development for teachers, gathering feedback from regional stakeholders, and recruiting diverse talent from the region.

The Program provides free legal assistance to under-resourced inventors interested in securing patent protection for their inventions.

The Pro Se Assistance Program is the United States Patent and Trademark Office's comprehensive pilot to expand outreach to inventors who file patent applications without the assistance of a registered patent attorney or agent (also known as "pro se" filing). On this page, you will find information about the program and how it works, and guides and resources for some of the most common issues that pro se applicants encounter.

The Patents Ombudsman Program enhances the USPTO's ability to assist applicants or their representatives with issues that arise during patent application prosecution. More specifically, when there is a breakdown in the normal application process, including before and after prosecution, the Patents Ombudsman Program can assist in getting the application back on track.

This updated resource provides users with helpful information and resources about patents and the patenting process. The Patent Basics landing page serves as a central hub, providing valuable information about U.S. and international patents to users. For topics requiring a deeper dive, the landing page will help direct users to relevant resources.