The Inventor Assistance Program matches developing country inventors and small businesses with limited financial means with patent attorneys, who provide pro bono legal assistance to secure patent protection (free legal advice on how to file a patent to protect their inventions).

The IAP aims to help solve the problem experienced by patent filers on exorbitant cost on professional fees relative to filing international patents by putting eligible inventors and small businesses in touch with an expert in their country who is willing to help them free of charge.

The IPOPHL, on its own initiative, can also assist inventors or small businesses to connect with the Department of Science and Technology -Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI), who provide a full assistance package covering patent drafting and financial assistance in filing.

Before filling out a form, review the eligibility criteria for the applicant and the invention.

Applicant:

1.Knowledge of Intellectual Property: Inventors / businesses must demonstrate a basic level of knowledge of the intellectual property system, through one of two ways:

A. If you have applied for a patent in the past OR currently have a patent application pending with IPOPHL or any IAP Participating Country

• Submit proof of your patent application.

B. If you’ve never applied for a patent application.

• For inventors / small businesses with no prior experience of the IP system, you may take any of the following:

• Completion of the WIPO Online IAP Training Module on patents.
• Completion of IPOPHL’s iLEAP IP Seminar (online LEAP IP)
• Completion of IPOPHL’s Basic Orientation Seminar (BOS)
  *Certification must be given

2. Income

• Any natural person who is earning P500,000.00 or less per annum
• Duly registered entity such as micro, small, start-up, spin-off companies with total assets LESS THAN P15,000,000.00 (Republic Act No. 9501)

3. Residency

You must be a resident of the Philippines. In general,the applicant must be a resident in the participating IAP country in which his request for the program is made.

4. Invention

• The invention must not be listed under ‘non-patentable inventions’ in Section 22 of the amended Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.
• Possesses commercial potential. No prior art- existing knowledge in the same field or inventions of the same kind should exist for your invention.

1. Fill out the application form (online application)

2.Submit the application form together with the following documents to the IPOPHL Receiving Office:

• The applicable documents cited in the application form and
• A signed confidentiality agreement

The Selection Board/Screening Committee, will review and select qualified local inventors, after which the IAP focal point (IPOPHL-DITTB)  in the Philippines will undertake the match-making for local applications.