Access to Legal Services
Emerging companies and small businesses may be eligible to receive pro bono legal services from the Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic (“IPEC”), a component of the Maryland Intellectual Property Legal Resource Center. Applicants should note that preference is given to entrepreneurs and businesses located in the state of Maryland. Service availability is subject to staffing limitations and clinical law program priorities. Companies interested in receiving assistance should contact IPEC at IPEC@law.umaryland.edu.
Nature of Services Provided
Legal services are provided by student attorneys from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law, working under the supervision of experienced, licensed faculty members and other practitioners. The types of services routinely provided by IPEC include:
- General counseling on all areas of intellectual property law, including patent, trade secrets, copyrights, and trademarks and service marks. Student attorneys provide advice and education on issues such as the requirements for obtaining a patent; requirements for trademark and copyright registration; maintenance of trade secrets; domain name registration; impact of public disclosures; and obtaining foreign patent protection.
- Assisting in the preparation, filing and prosecution of trademark and service mark applications, including searches to inform counseling and filing decisions.
- Assisting in the preparation and filing of copyright registrations.
- Assisting in the preparation, filing and prosecution of patent applications, including provisional utility and nonprovisional utility and design applications, including searches to inform filing decisions and claiming strategies.
- Assisting in the preparation of IP-related agreements, such as nondisclosure agreements, employment and consulting agreements, and licenses.
- Providing basic counseling on business entity formation options and IP-adjacent issues.
- Providing counseling and representation in Copyright Claims Board (CCB) matters.
Except for CCB matters, IPEC does not conduct litigation and does not represent clients before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. IPEC does not provide opinions regarding patent infringement or invalidity. Prospective clients seeking these types of services should consult with a law firm.
Referral Services
IPEC seeks to provide guidance and direction on when and how companies can make efficient use of outside counsel. Upon request, the clinic can provide referrals to area law firms.