North Carolina

North Carolina residents have access to a host of unique resources and assistance in their state. Expand the categories below to see what is available to you. Additionally, our USPTO headquarters provides additional support and resources for customers in the Eastern region of the United States.

Get free patent and trademark legal assistance

Patent Pro Bono Program

North Carolina inventors are served by the Georgia PATENTS & North Carolina Bar Foundation Partnership, part of the USPTO's nationwide pro bono program that matches inventors who qualify (based on income) with volunteer attorneys and patent professionals that will help you file your patent application.

Law school clinics

North Carolina inventors and entrepreneurs can obtain free legal help for both patent and trademark matters by contacting:

North Carolina Central University School of Law clinic (patents and trademarks): ipclinic@nccu.edu
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law (trademarks): ipclinic@unc.edu

In addition to the law school clinics listed above, there are 19 law school clinics that provide free patent and trademark services to all residents of the United States regardless of location.

Learn to search for inventions and trademarks at PTRCs

Certain libraries throughout the United States are designated as Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC), which provide resources and trained staff to help customers use and understand USPTO information and filing systems. North Carolina is served by the following PTRCs:

University of North Carolina at Charlotte - Charlotte
D. H. Hill Library, North Carolina State University - Raleigh

Attend inventor and entrepreneur workshops, trainings, and other events in your region

Every day the USPTO hosts events across the country geared just for aspiring inventors and entrepreneurs, from trademark basics to patent search workshop. Check our USPTO event calendar and find something near you today.

Find a registered patent attorney or agent in North Carolina

If you intend to hire an attorney (recommended), the USPTO maintains a roster of active patent attorneys and agents registered with the USPTO. Find an attorney or agent by selecting North Carolina from the list of states in the search field.

Network with inventor and entrepreneur organizations in your state

Inventor clubs and organizations can be a great way to connect with local inventors and entrepreneurs and open more doors to resources and opportunities. Below are a list of organizations in North Carolina. If you represent an inventor group or nonprofit and would like to have your organization listed here, please email InnovationDevelopment@uspto.gov.

Inventors' Network of the Carolinas

Do you have suggestions for resources to include on this page? Please contact InnovationDevelopment@uspto.gov.