UTRGV Libraries Become Patent & Trademark Resource Centers 

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UTRGV Libraries Become Patent & Trademark Resource Centers 

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The UTRGV Division of Research collaborated with USPTO, UTRGV University Library and the Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center to host presentations in Brownsville and Mission, during RGV Startup Week, on the importance of intellectual property in fostering creativity and exploring licensing opportunities. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
The UTRGV Division of Research collaborated with USPTO, UTRGV University Library and the Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center to host presentations in Brownsville and Mission, during RGV Startup Week, on the importance of intellectual property in fostering creativity and exploring licensing opportunities. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

Thanks to the recent opening of two new Patent and Trademark Resource Centers at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Libraries, Valley innovators will no longer need to drive 300 miles to the nearest patent office in Austin to secure intellectual property protection.

Community members with big ideas for new technologies, products or brands now have access to essential resources in their own backyards with these university locations in Edinburg and Brownsville. Officially designated by the United States Patent and Trademark Office as the eighth and ninth PTRCs in Texas, these centers were inaugurated with ribbon-cutting ceremonies last week.

Can Saygin, senior vice president for Research at UTRGV, said the designations allow UTRGV to offer a broader range of services aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the region’s entrepreneurs, students and faculty.

“Creating intellectual property – including patents and trademarks – and expanding access to related resources directly supports our mission to grow research, foster innovation and drive economic development in the Rio Grande Valley,” he said.

Spurring Economic Competitiveness

The USPTO’s PTRCs – a network of nearly 100 centers nationwide – have provided free educational tools, guidance and legal resources for filing a patent, trademark or copyright since 1871.

In 2024, PTRCs around the country filed 600,000 patent applications and issued more than 350,000. Additionally, the centers reviewed 700,000 trademark applications and issued 330,000 certificates of registration.

“Our goal is to strengthen economic competitiveness for all Americans,” said Jacob Choi, Southwest assistant regional director for USPTO. “PTRC’s are designed to include more people in innovation by providing the human touch.”

Rob Berry, manager of the USPTO PTRC program, said the library staff at the two new centers will be available for in-person or virtual meetings.

These local experts are trained to help users navigate databases, understand application processes and connect with pro bono resources for legal and technical consultations.

“You can ensure that your project isn’t an existing trademark, and learn technical vocabulary that’s associated with your ideas,” he said. “That could help through your venture capital journeys.”

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