The Inventor Assistance Program (IAP) supports inventors and small businesses with limited resources transform their innovation into commercial assets. The IAP matches selected beneficiaries with a volunteer patent attorney or agent to help them navigate the patent system at no cost. The Program benefits from a global network of volunteers that provide patent drafting and prosecution services on a pro bono basis to beneficiaries in their own country and in selected jurisdictions.
Participating countries – Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa.
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Video: Why Apply to WIPO’s Inventor Assistance Program
Through the IAP, pro bono attorneys and patent specialists can provide a free kick-start to the use and development of the patent system in developing countries. Their work helps spur innovation at the grassroots level and also allows them to develop their professional skills in new, rewarding ways.
Patent attorneys and specialists in Europe, Japan, and the United States of America can also apply to the program to support inventors selected by the IAP with securing patent protection in those jurisdictions via the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
Before applying make sure you have a WIPO Account. Then access the IAP Online Platform and complete the online application form. We will get back to you about your acceptance into the Program.
Please note that only attorneys who are licensed to practice by the industrial property office of the country concerned and who accept in writing the guiding principles of the IAP are eligible to apply.
If you are from a jurisdiction other than the IAP participating countries, Europe, Japan or the U.S., we nevertheless encourage you to apply and we will let you know when the country in which you practice joins the IAP.
Inventors working in any technological field can benefit from expert support to help them use the patent system.
A patent allows inventors/companies to gain valuable exclusivity over a new product or process. In developing countries however, few local inventors venture into the world of patents and those who do so without legal support often fail at the first steps due to formal errors.
Individial inventors or small businesses based in a country participating in the Inventor Assistance Program (IAP) can apply. To qualify for support, you must satisfy four main criteria (plus any specific national criteria):
Basic knowledge of the patent system: Demonstrated by:
presenting proof of a current patent application that has been filed at the patent office of an IAP participant country.
Income level: Your income must be below the threshold determined by the country in question.
Eligible invention: You must have an invention that qualifies for IAP. Decisions on the eligibility of inventions are taken by the IAP screening board of the country in question.
Residence: You must be a resident in the country in which you make the request and that country must be a participant in the IAP.
WIPO has developed a dedicated online course to help first-time inventors decide whether their invention fulfills patentability requirements. The course is free of charge and anyone who wishes can take it.
For inventors without a pending patent application, passing the online course is a prerequisite for working jointly with a pro bono patent attorney through the IAP.
Video: Interview with Mr. Ivan Rizo Tello, awarded inventor under the IAP.
Video: Awards ceremony – Colombian Inventor of the Year (2017).
Video: Colombia awards its best inventors, supporting local creativity.
Video: IP experts talk about pro bono activities and the IAP.
Structure and governance
The IAP is composed of countries, sponsors, and pro bono patent attorneys. These three groups all constitute IAP members.
Guiding principles
All members must accept in writing the IAP guiding principles
Steering Committee
The central governance body of the IAP is the Steering Committee, which provides overall strategic direction, guidance and support.
The Steering Committee is made up of representatives of all of the stakeholders involved in the IAP.
List of Steering Committee members
WIPO
WIPO functions as a "clearing house" to coordinate and promote the IAP at the international level, including through the following activities:
Supporting member states with the implementation of the IAP
Managing the roster of pro-bono attorneys
Matchmaking pro-bono patent attorneys and specialists with selected inventors
Facilitating, together with the World Economic Forum, meetings of the Steering Committee
Sponsors
Corporations, law firms, associations of IP professionals, as well as other institutions working in the field of IP, are invited to join the IAP as sponsors.
In general sponsors contribute by promoting the IAP to their internal networks of preferred firms, and seek to recruit qualified counsel from these firms to serve as IAP pro bono patent attorneys. Sponsor contributions can also be determined on a case-by-case basis with the IAP Steering Committee.
