| Dear colleagues,
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) invites your school to participate in the USPTO’s 2021 National Patent Application Drafting Competition, which introduces law students to U.S. patent law issues and develops their patent application drafting, amending, and prosecuting skills. Competitors can apply from October 1 until midnight ET, November 7.
Student teams will receive a hypothetical invention statement for which they will search the prior art, prepare a specification, draft claims, and present their reasoning for patentability before a panel of judges comprised of patent examiners, practitioners, and high-profile guest judges. Each regional winner will compete in the National Finals at USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, on April 9, 2021. Please see the official rules for more information on participant and team eligibility.
This competition is changing how law schools teach patent and trademark law. By demystifying the patent application process through the creation of a competitive space for rigorous clinical practice, the competition helps law students become more efficient and effective patent drafters and filers.
Key dates: October 1, 2020 Team registration opens November 7, 2020 Team registration closes November 13, 2020 Team invitations sent November 16, 2020 Invention statement released to teams February 8, 2021 Deadline to submit team patent application March 6, 2021 Virtual regional rounds, regional winners announced March 21, 2021 Deadline to submit National Finals team patent application April 9, 2021 National Finals
Registration: Teams must register through EventBrite at: 2021 U.S. Patent and Trademark Office National Patent Drafting Competition. You can also search EventBrite for event number 118492306679.
If you have any questions, please contact PatentDraftingCompetition@USPTO.gov.
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Posted: September 23, 2020