The Atlanta Lawyer January/February 2015 | Page 29

section update Intellectual Property Section By Chris Lightner Alston & Bird, LLP [email protected] S ince early 2013, the Intellectual Property (IP) Section of the Atlanta Bar Association has been working with various attorneys and organizations, including the Georgia Lawyers for the Arts (GLA) and the IP Section of the State Bar of Georgia, to create and launch an America Invents Act (AIA) Inventor Assistance Program in Georgia. The AIA requires the formation of programs to help solo inventors and small businesses find patent agents and patent attorneys to file patent applications on a pro bono basis. After many efforts and much collaboration, we are pleased to announce that Georgia’s Inventor Assistance Program— named Georgia PATENTS—is now operational. Perhaps just as importantly, we are pleased to announce that the Opening Ceremony for the Georgia PATENTS Pro Bono Project will take place at the offices of Alston & Bird, beginning at 5:00pm on Tuesday, February 17, 2015. Representatives will be on hand from across the state and also from the U.S. Patent Office for this Opening Ceremony and we encourage all IP practitioners in Georgia to attend, if possible, so as to demonstrate our unified commitment to providing quality patent-based pro bono assistance in our communities and across our state. To RSVP, please visit http://gapatents.org/rsvp. View the Georgia Patent Pro Bono Project invitation here. In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more generally about the Georgia PATENTS program, please visit http://gapatents.org. The best thing for your resume since spellcheck. An online LL.M. concentration in Taxation or Business Transactions from The University of Alabama School of Law allows you to earn an advanced degree while working full-time. Enrolling in this program demonstrates that you understand the value of live classes made available in a collaborative, online environment and are accessible accessible from anywhere in the world. Earning this degree proves that you received skills-based training from respected professors .. .... and practitioners throughout the country, and that you are prepared to be a leader in your field. Visit AlabamaLLM.ua.edu/atl to learn more. Online LL.M. degree programs Tax and Business Law Concentrations The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association LL.M . AL A BA M A The University of Alabama S c h o o l o f L aw January/February 2015 AlabamaLLM.ua.edu/atl THE ATLANTA LAWYER 29