As part of its ongoing outreach to independent inventors, entrepreneurs, and businesses, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is hosting an event to educate patent applicants on the process of obtaining a patent. A USPTO official will conduct a workshop to provide attendees valuable information about what to expect when filing a patent application including:

• Common pitfalls for pro se applicants
• The parts of a patent application
• The role of a U.S. Patent Examiner
• Steps in the examination process
• Resources available to pro se applicants

Whether you have already filed for a patent or plan to file by yourself or with the aid of a practitioner, this event will provide you with an understanding of the patent examination process and help you make informed decisions throughout the examination of your application.

A few notes:

• For security purposes, you must RSVP (via a free ticket). Security will not allow walk-ins who are not on the RSVP list.
• The visitor entrance to the building is at the intersection of 8th Avenue and W 15th Street, and you will need to show some form of identification.
• If you are taking the subway, the A, C, E, and L trains have a subway stop inside the building (14th street stop). The 1, 2, and 3 trains are a little over a block away at W 14th and 7th Avenue (14th street stop).