UHV SBDC to offer workshop about patents, trademarks
A business, invention or idea is valuable property, and the U.S. Small Business Administration and the University of Houston-Victoria are offering a workshop to help entrepreneurs identify and protect intellectual property.
Understanding the Patent and Trademark Processes is a free workshop focusing on the general concepts of intellectual property, how to identify subject matter that should be patented and the patent process itself. The workshop will be from 3 to 5 p.m. April 19 in the UHV SBDC, 1908 N. Laurent St., Suite 400. The workshop will be interactive and will include a question-and-answer session. It is open to the public, and registration closes April 17.
“All of us deal with trademarks on a daily basis whether we realize it or not,” UHV SBDC Director Joe Humphreys said. “This workshop can help area entrepreneurs understand the importance of protecting their brands and how to maintain that protection.”
The workshop will be presented by Hope Shimabuku, director of the Texas regional U.S. Patent and Trademark Office based in Dallas. She will discuss intellectual property, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Texas Regional Office, and how these organizations serve the Texas area by providing educational programs about how to protect entrepreneurs’ ideas, brands and inventions.
In addition, students will learn how to register and file a trademark and maintenance. Information about available resources will be provided, including pro bono and pro se programs, assistance centers, resource centers and local law school clinics and upcoming events.
“Our advisors have a passion for helping entrepreneurs succeed,” Humphreys said. “During this workshop, students will receive beneficial information that they can apply when dealing with patents and trademarks.”
To register for the workshop, contact the UHV SBDC at 361-485-4485 or email sbdc@uhv.edu.
The UHV SBDC is part of a nationwide small business assistance program serving the small business community in partnership with federal, state and local governments. The center offers business advising, training and technical assistance to existing and start-up businesses in an 11-county area.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
