The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will extend its pro bono program to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, offering legal assistance to those in need of volunteer counsel.
The pilot program will be limited to ex parte appeals, Lead Administrative Patent Judge Stacey White said at the agency’s Patent Public Advisory Committee meeting on Thursday.
The PTAB Bar Association will serve as the clearinghouse for the pilot and will bring together attorneys with clients who need financial aid for counsel for PTAB proceedings.
The agency already has a patent pro bono program designed to provide legal assistance for inventors ...