The Pro Se Assistance Center at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) provides outreach and education to applicants (also known as "pro se" applicants) who file patent applications without the assistance of a registered patent attorney or agent. The patent process is a complex set of laws, regulations, policies, and procedures; therefore, the USPTO always recommends using a registered patent attorney or agent to assist in preparing your application. The USPTO also recognizes that the cost of legal assistance is prohibitive for many applicants, particularly independent inventors and small businesses. USPTO employees cannot give legal advice. However, through increased assistance and resources for independent inventors and small business communities, the program aims to increase the quality of pro se applications and assist pro se applicants with making informed decisions regarding their patent applications.
The USPTO's Pro Se Assistance Center staff can assist applicants with navigating the USPTO website @ www.uspto.gov and answer questions concerning application types, outstanding notices, formatting, and an overview of the patent process.
Types of appointments available include Telephone Conference and Video Conference (Micro-Soft TEAMS) from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM (EST).
For additional information related to the Pro Se Assistance Center services, please contact us at:
email: ProSeAssistanceCenter@uspto.gov
Telephone: 866-767-3848 or visit our Website at:
https://www.uspto.gov/patents-getting-started/using-legal-services/pro-se-assistance-program
