Site Offers Help Managing Intellectual Capital

Individual entrepreneurs to corporate scientists can get help converting new ideas into business opportunities at Patent Cafe (PatentCafe.com). This intellectual-property resource site provides guidance for online patent filing, building business plans, and finding potential licensees, venture capitalists, and manufacturers. Free resources at the site include Live ExperChats, an online business chat guest hosted by a different industry expert every Tuesday night; Ask-A-Patent Attorney, inventor-to-patent attorney interactive support for invention related inquiries; an archived bulletin board where entrepreneurs can post and answer questions; and FAQs on patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, and royalties. Patent Cafe has links to some 4,000 resource sites, as well as strategic partnerships with companies such as FirstUse.com, that provide 24-hour confidential fingerprinting and time-stamped registration of intellectual property for inventors, authors, and songwriters. Fee-based services include listing a patent on the site to attract possible licensees; U.S. and international patent and trademark searches; and a new-invention assessment including market and competitive analysis, environmental impact, and engineering/production feasibility.