PTO Hunts Southeast Spots for Inventor Outreach Offices
Published Date: 2/26/2026
Notice
Summary
The Patent and Trademark Office wants your ideas on where to open new community outreach offices in the Southeast, covering 10 states like Florida and Georgia. These offices will help inventors and businesses connect better with the government. If you want to share your thoughts, send them by March 30, 2026—no public meetings, just your written comments!
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
COOs Required in Southeast States
If you are in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, or Arkansas, the USPTO is seeking locations for one or more Community Outreach Offices (COOs) to serve those states. The Unleashing American Innovators Act requires the USPTO to establish at least four COOs no later than December 29, 2027.
COOs Will Provide Pro Bono Outreach
The USPTO says COOs will educate prospective innovators—including individual inventors, small businesses, veterans, low-income populations, and students—about public and private resources available to applicants, including pro bono programs. That means people in the listed Southeast states could get local help and referrals for patent-related resources and pro bono assistance.
COOs Aim to Speed Patent Processing
The USPTO notes that regional offices and COOs aim to improve examiner recruitment and retention, decrease the number of patent applications waiting for examination, and improve examination quality. That could lead to faster or higher-quality patent examination for applicants in the states served by new COOs.
Focus on Emerging Tech Outreach
The USPTO states COOs will incentivize regional innovation and entrepreneurship, especially in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum, and distributed ledger technologies. Innovators and students in those fields in the listed Southeast states may see targeted outreach, education, or partnership programs.
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