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Barrie Johnson, of Raymond, thought she was on to something
when she dreamed up the idea of making a coffee steeper. Similar
to a spoon-handled tea strainer, the gadget would allow people
to brew fresh coffee one cup at a time. She came up with the
idea while camping with her husband, who liked a different
coffee than she. To help turn her invention into reality Johnson
turned to USM's Maine Patent Program (MPP) for some free advice
on trademark issues.
"They were happy to listen to my ideas, it was wonderful,"
says Johnson, whose Cup.pour.ri coffee steeper is now
available through several coffee supply and camping retailers.
"I went to three inventor's forums sponsored by the MPP,
listened to lawyers and other people map out the necessities.
The help that USM and the patent program gave has been phenomenal."
Johnson is one of approximately 130 Maine inventors who have
consulted with staff at the Maine Patent Program since its
inception in 2001. The program, which is the public service
unit of the School of Law's Advanced Center for Technology
and Law Management (Technology Law Center), provides strategic
advice and assistance to Maine companies and entrepreneurs
on how to identify and protect their intellectual property.
The program was conceived and funded by the Legislature as
part of a wide-reaching effort to support the commercialization
and manufacturing of innovations in Maine.
Among available resources are basic information on patents,
trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, which the MPP posts
on the university's Web site at www.tlc.usm.maine.edu/patent.
Businesses and entrepreneurs can meet one-on-one with program
staff to determine the patent-worthiness of their ideas and
develop intellectual property strategies for bringing their
ideas into the marketplace. Aspects of commercialization--such
as business plans, funding, legal services and manufacturing
--are referred out to a network of state and private entities
that help Maine entrepreneurs.
"Before this program was around, people would need to
go directly to a patent attorney in the private sector just
to get basic information, said MPP Director Woody Higgins.
"Our program helps people understand the process better
so when they're ready to work with attorneys and file their
patents they know what to expect and can use their patent
attorney on a more cost-effective basis." What any inventor
can expect, says Higgins, is a tremendous amount of work.
Most patents take at least two years to complete. In computer
technologies it may take as many as four years to receive
a patent. "It takes a very determined and hard-working
individual," he said.
Patent issues extend beyond manufacturing concerns into a
complex and changing realm of intellectual property laws,
as information technology expands the global reaches of innovation.
The Technology Law Center sponsors educational programming
and outreach for businesses and individuals on other aspects
of intellectual property, with seminars, workshops and consultations
on protecting everything from software code to scientific
research.
According to Technology Law Center Director Rita Heimes,
it's an area of rapid growth, both in the private sector and
in institutions of higher learning. "In Maine, for instance,
there has been extraordinary growth in innovation in life
sciences," said Heimes. "We have incredible intellectual
resources in our scientific research labs. We're doing research
right now to evaluate the capacity of Maine's university systems,
small colleges, and research facilities to transfer knowledge
into the private sector. There is a trend to look at institutions
of higher learning as sources for new technologies that could
have strong commercial potential. I believe that the TLC and
MPP can help now and in the future as that need grows."
Currently, Maine ranks only 42nd among states in patents
per capita, according to the federal Development Report Card
of the States. In 2001, there were 211 issued patents naming
at least one Maine inventor. That figure rose to 235 patents
in 2002, an increase of 11.8 per cent. MaineÕs current rating
is based on 2001 data and may rise in the patent ranking reported
at the end of this year.
Higgins says he's not worried by the statistics, since the
MPP has only been in existence for less than two years. "We're
currently getting about 10 new inventions coming in to our
program every month," he says. "The number of applications
to our programs is up and more people are attending seminars.
I think people are beginning to think more about getting patents
on inventions and protecting trademarks."
For those who do successfully negotiate the process, the
rewards can be addicting. Barrie Johnson recently received
a second patent for her invention of a portable horse jump,
JumpEzE, which she is manufacturing and marketing."Coffee
and horses," said Johnson, "my inventions deal with
what I'm passionate about. I think there's probably a little
bit of an inventor in all of us, but not everyone wants to
follow through. For me, I feel that I'm in the right state,
because the help I've received has been phenomenal."
For information on the Maine Patent Program, or a schedule
of Maine Inventors Forums, contact The
Maine Patent Program at 874-6521, or visit www.tlc.usm.maine.edu/patent.
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