Law Center News
SULC Tech Spotlight: Tatro Toys receives patent
The Southern University Law Center (SULC) values its legal clinics, which allow law students to engage with clients and gain experience in the various fields of the legal profession. One clinic, The SULC Technology and Entrepreneurship Clinic (The SULC Tech Clinic), was founded on the premise of the "Next Generation of Lawyers Helping the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs." This month, The SULC Tech Clinic celebrates a remarkable milestone of achieving a patent for one of its clients' recent inventions.
Will Barrios, a client of The SULC Tech Clinic, was granted a patent for his invention Tatro® by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The invention is a creative teaching tool consisting of a toy theater kit that young children can use to guide their development, including spatial, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. The SULC Tech Clinic assisted Barrios with his invention's application and patent prosecution through extensive hours worked by staff attorneys and students.
"The work with the Technology and Entrepreneurship Clinic has been a great learning experience for our business and seeing how the students learn and grow with us is rewarding," said Barrios. "The work of the students under the leadership of Mark Thurman produces high-quality work and reassures us that although the service is free, minus filing fees, the work is equal to what well-established businesses might pay for legal services."
Helping Barrios achieve the patent protection of his invention was an exciting accomplishment. Just as The SULC Tech Clinic is a springboard used to launch the careers of future attorneys, Tatro® is a stepping-stone invention that will promote the development of children's mindsets.
"Being a part of our clients' entrepreneurial journeys is a tangible way to give back to the community and support visionaries and entrepreneurs in the pursuit of innovation within Louisiana and beyond," said Marina A. Biragova, attorney and executive director of The SULC Tech Clinic.
The SULC Tech Clinic is a training ground where law students are exposed to the innovative world of intellectual property matters and experience the rewarding opportunity of assisting local small businesses in protecting their novel works. An outstanding characteristic of The SULC Tech Clinic is that it provides free legal services to its clients. The hourly rates for IP attorneys in certain parts of the country can be upwards of $500 per hour. By offering free legal services, The SULC Tech Clinic may extend its efforts to various small businesses that otherwise may not have been able to afford the legal fees required for such matters.
"Starting a business without legal advice can greatly diminish the business' chance of survival, and unfortunately, many cannot afford the legal advice they need to get started. Our clinic is uniquely placed to address this current need in our community and eliminate early-stage legal and financial barriers to protecting intellectual property and leveraging intangible assets by providing pro-bono services to the businesses in need," said Biragova.
SULC looks forward to the future of The SULC Tech Clinic and how its services will continue to benefit the community and promote the development of small businesses. Because small business owners like Barrios embrace the Clinic and believe in the Clinic's ability to achieve Barrios' mission, The SULC Tech Clinic can continue to have these outstanding accomplishments.
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