To Patent and Serve — Kia C. Bell

To Patent and Serve

BY KIA C. BELL

Behind every successful creative idea, invention or product is a lawyer working to obtain a patent or trademark. Some of the greatest ideas and items are protected by intellectual property law in some way.

Intellectual property – often referred to as IP – is work or inventions created by an individual or organization, including but not limited to digital content, symbols, names, slogans, music and logos. IP law protects and enforces owners’ rights to their creative work.

NCCU’s Intellectual Property Clinic is a nucleus for aspiring intellectual property lawyers and patent attorneys. Housed within the School of Law, it provides no-cost counsel for clients who bring them patent and trademark issues. The IP Clinic is unique within the University of North Carolina System.

Specializing in this area of the law can catapult a legal career into exciting directions, with practitioners working in the music industry, business, manufacturing, art and many other fields, said law professor and IP Clinic Director Mimi Afshar.

“Our mission is to not only assist individuals obtain patents but also to bridge the gap between the IP sector and minorities seeking careers in IP law,” Afshar said.

The American Bar Association National Lawyer Population Survey reports that only 15% of lawyers are minorities, with a small percentage specializing in IP. The 2017 American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) Report of the Economic Survey indicated 1.8% of IP attorneys are African American, 2.5% are Hispanic or Latino, and less than 0.5% are Native American.

Clients who come to the clinic are served by upper-level law students who work under the supervision of licensed patent and trademark attorneys within the NCCU School of Law.

The IP Clinic is certified by the United States Patent and Trademark Office to assist with patent and trademark preparation, filing and prosecution. Its reach extends beyond North Carolina, with clients residing in other states, including Florida, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia and California.

The clinic provides free legal counseling and services to those without access to high quality intellectual property legal services, which may include innovators, entrepreneurs, small businesses and early-stage start-up companies. The North Carolina Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Program (LEAP), a program of the North Carolina Bar Association, also refers clients. The fusion of practical clinics with traditional classroom lessons gives NCCU Law School students an opportunity to put legal theory to practice and gain first-hand experience in problem-solving, client management, drafting briefs and critical thinking skills.

Thanks to the efforts of law students, NCCU Department of Music lecturer Robert Trowers recently obtained a patent for an innovative mouthpiece he developed for use with brass instruments. Trowers’ invention is an elliptical shaped mouthpiece for brass instruments with characteristics of the traditional V-cup and bowl-shaped mouthpieces. His invention produces a distinct sound. The patent was accepted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on the first submission.

“My experience with the IP Clinic was very efficacious,” Trowers said. “I don’t know when I would’ve been able to pursue this process without the services provided by the IP Clinic.”

Trowers plans to market his invention in stores as an affordable option for musical artists in the near future.

Afshar said she expects two additional patents this year to join the dozens of others obtained by the IP Clinic.

While students working in the clinic law feel satisfaction when ensuring that creators get full credit for their inventions, they also understand the long-term value in pursing an IP law specialty.

The American Intellectual Property Law Association recently reported the average median annual salary for IP lawyers as $130,000. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment rates for all lawyers to increase by about 8% over the next five years.

PROFESSOR MIMI AFSHAR LECTURER ROBERT TROWERS

ROBERT TROWERS’ TROMBONE MOUTHPIECE PATENT