Patenting your invention is just one step in being able to commercialize a technology. Just being granted a patent does not guarantee that you will ultimately be successful. You need to make sure that you are not infringing on existing patents that could limit your ability to apply your technology. Ensuring that you have "Freedom to Operate" (FTO) can take many hours of a patent attorney's time.
To provide FTO analysis to selected startups at no charge, QB3 has partnered with UC Hastings. For companies accepted to the program, a team of law students with technical backgrounds will perform an FTO analysis under the supervision of an experienced attorney. The company has to interact with the students weekly to ensure progress of the project.
Applications are now closed.
This is a selective program. Approximately four applications will be chosen based on a match with the law students' technical background and interests. Strong preference will be given to incorporated companies with issued patents.
Applicants will learn of their status by early January. The program itself will take approximately two months to complete and will require a time commitment of 4-8 hours from the startup.