Public Patent Foundation
Services offered: Reexaminations of patents. Pre-litigation counseling, representation and negotiation. Representing defendants in patent litigation. Patent-related only. (No trademark or copyright services.) No patent applications or prosecution.
Eligibility criteria: Economically disadvantaged businesses (including sole proprietors, partnerships, corporations or other entities) accused of infringing dubious patents.
Regions covered: Nationwide in U.S.A.
Fees charged: Clients are expected to pay costs, but normally not attorney fees.
Public Interest Intellectual Property Advisors, Inc. (PIIPA)
Services offered: PIIPA is the global non-profit resource for developing countries and public interest organizations seeking expertise in intellectual property matters to promote health, agriculture, biodiversity, science, culture, and the environment.
Eligibility criteria: Assists governments of developing countries, non-profit organizations in developing countries, and non-profit organizations in developed countries that help developing countries.
Regions covered: All developing countries
Fees charged: None
Patent Pro Bono Florida
Services offered: A statewide program of the Arts & Business Council of Miami and Dade Legal Aid to provide under-resourced inventors with pro bono patent attorneys.
International Trademark Association
Services offered: Through its Pro Bono Committee, INTA has established the Trademark Clearinghouse pilot program to bolster the protection of intellectual property by matching eligible clients facing trademark issues with INTA member attorneys so that legal services can be provided free of charge.
The Clearinghouse is intended to serve low-income individuals and/or directors of nonprofit or charitable organizations with low operating budgets (1) who might otherwise not know where to turn or (2) who don’t have access to legal assistance in the area of trademarks. This clearinghouse is the only one currently in existence that is dedicated primarily to trademarks.
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Services offered: Litigation defense, with concentration on “impact litigation”, i.e., precedent setting cases; nationwide referrals to attorneys in technology cases.
Eligibility criteria: No formal criteria
Regions covered: Nationwide in U.S.A.
Fees charged: None