Aspiring entrepreneurs at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and throughout the local community now have a valuable new resource to help them turn their innovative ideas into reality. This July, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office designated UMES a Patent and Trademark Resource Center. UMES became the fifth historically black college or university to receive this recognition and the only PTRC on Eastern Shore.
The establishment of the PTRC is a natural progression for UMES’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Dr. Pamela Allison, endowed chair of the CEI, expressed her enthusiasm for the new center. “In the past, we’ve hosted trademark boot camps for entrepreneurs where they can come in with an idea and, by the end of the day, be ready to file their trademark application,” said Dr. Allison. “As we were preparing for a patent boot camp, we were approached with the idea about being a PTRC, and it went from there.”
PTRCs are crucial in the USPTO’s mission to support the public’s intellectual property needs. They aim to provide accessible resources that help individuals navigate the often complex and daunting landscape of patents and trademarks.
The Fifth HBCU To Receive U.S. Patent Office Designation
Joining the ranks of other HBCUs, including Southern University and A&M College, Prairie View A&M, and South Carolina State University, UMES’s designation highlights a growing trend to empower minority institutions and their communities in innovation. Howard University, the first HBCU to earn this designation, has participated in the program since 1986.
The UMES PTRC will be housed within the Frederick Douglass Library. Library staff will assist patrons seeking to research potential patents and trademarks. Sharon Brooks, acting director of library services at UMES, emphasized the value of the PTRC to the university and the wider community. “We knew it would be a plus because of the opportunities offered to the UMES students, faculty, staff, and the community,” Brooks said.
Allison further noted that the PTRC aims to reduce the barriers to entering the patent and trademark process. “The patent and trademark process can be costly and you don’t want to make a mistake where you find someone out there has something similar to your idea. We want to be a resource center that can help alleviate those concerns of making an expensive mistake,” she explained.
The PTRC at UMES will officially open its doors on Oct. 2 at the Frederick Douglass Library.
