Protecting inventors' intellectual property

PatentConnect matches Indiana inventors in need of pro bono patent services with volunteer patent attorneys. The Center administers the program by screening inquiries from potential pro bono clients and matching them to volunteering lawyers who set the scope of representation, or by introducing inventors to a marketplace of lawyers who provide reduced-fee services. 

The IU Maurer School of Law Center for Intellectual Property Research launched PatentConnect in September 2015 after being named a patent hub by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The Center serves as the only patent hub for Indiana and Kentucky. Our work is a fundamental part of our overall mission of enhancing Indiana's and Kentucky's innovation ecosystem, which is vital to the region's economy.