New Hampshire Leads the Nation with First USPTO Community Outreach Office

Life sciences businesses in New Hampshire may now be able to get patents processed faster than ever. At the start of this year, the first Community Outreach Office for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) opened in New Hampshire. In partnership with the University of New Hampshire at Durham, this office will support intellectual property education and outreach in New England.

The Northern New England Community Outreach Office will be able to assist innovators in protecting their ideas and driving economic growth, particularly for the life sciences and advanced manufacturing sectors.

Having proximity to patent experts means businesses can quickly protect IP and have easier access to meetings and document reviews. In life sciences, intellectual property is often a company’s most valuable asset. Having nearby patent support helps ensure that innovations are protected strategically and thoroughly, essential for attracting investors, securing funding, and maintaining market exclusivity.

“This office will help the innovators and entrepreneurs of New Hampshire and New England by putting USPTO personnel and resources closer to them, fostering Granite State innovation and bolstering the state’s economy,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in a statement. “I was thrilled to join Acting Director Brent, Northern New England Community Outreach Office Director (Daniel) Modricker and representatives from UNH to celebrate the signing of this agreement.”

The new Community Outreach Office based out of UNH’s Durham campus has the purpose of creating better connections with patent filers and innovators, enhancing patent examiner and administrative judge retention, improving recruitment of patent examiners, decreasing the number of patent applications waiting for examination and improving the quality of patent examination. It is the first COO to open under the Unleashing American Innovators Act signed in 2022 by then-President Joe Biden.

“These new offices support the administration’s commitment to drive economic growth and job creation by enhancing USPTO’s ability to meet people where they are and connect them with important resources to help inspire and strengthen the innovation ecosystem,” said Kathi Vidal, who was undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the USPTO at the time the legislation was enacted.

This connection with the University of New Hampshire builds on the patent and trademark resources center already located at the Franklin Pierce School of Law in Concord. The center offered an orientation on using patent databases, access to basic materials on patents and trademarks, access to web databases for patent searching, and historical patent resources. It did not provide legal advice, student-staff patent clinics or staff searches for patent information.

The partnership with UNH allowed the USPTO to launch the new office quickly in the New England region. Currently, it is only available by email.

The selection of New Hampshire was not random. Guidelines for the COO included areas with opportunities to increase diversity in business ownership and access to private and public higher education institutions. Atlanta was also selected for a new regional office.

UNH and USPTO will work together to support and empower entrepreneurs and innovators in the New England area with the resources to protect intellectual property, such as an invention, a brand, or a creative work, and bring that IP to market to solve challenges facing the region and the world. This office will provide direct support, especially to startup companies seeking experience and expert guidance.

The office will also allow the New Hampshire life science industry to continue to expand and compete more effectively, even against larger metros.

New Hampshire Life Sciences (NHLS) is pleased to see a new partnership that will support the industry members it represents. It hopes the Northern New England Community Outreach Office proves to be a strong model in streamlining the patent and trademark process for the rest of the country.

Those interested in staying up to date with the life sciences industry and related news are encouraged to contact NHLS at nhlifesciences.org and sign up for its newsletter.