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From Filing to Patent in 6 Months: The Untold Story of the USPTO’s Climate Program
Manage episode 477300885 series 2805813
In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I spoke with Ryan Schermerhorn, a US-based patent attorney who’s been helping clean tech innovators navigate the IP maze - until recently with the help of a now-suspended fast-track programme.
We discussed the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program, which allowed inventors of emissions-reducing technologies to get patents approved in months rather than years, at no cost. Ryan explained how it worked, why it was a big deal for clean tech startups, and how it quietly disappeared earlier this year following a political shift.
We also unpacked what this means for innovators now. Ryan shared practical alternatives - like using international patent offices with similar climate fast-track schemes and leveraging the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) to speed things up globally.
We also covered the balance between IP protection and open innovation, why patents still matter in the climate crisis, and how to protect ideas early without blowing the budget.
If you're working in climate tech, clean energy, or emissions monitoring and need to protect or scale your innovation, this episode is for you.
Podcast supporters
I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing supporters:
- Lorcan Sheehan
- Jerry Sweeney
- Andreas Werner
- Stephen Carroll
- Roger Arnold
And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one.
Contact
If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn.
If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.
Credits
Music credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper
218 episodes
Manage episode 477300885 series 2805813
In this episode of the Climate Confident podcast, I spoke with Ryan Schermerhorn, a US-based patent attorney who’s been helping clean tech innovators navigate the IP maze - until recently with the help of a now-suspended fast-track programme.
We discussed the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program, which allowed inventors of emissions-reducing technologies to get patents approved in months rather than years, at no cost. Ryan explained how it worked, why it was a big deal for clean tech startups, and how it quietly disappeared earlier this year following a political shift.
We also unpacked what this means for innovators now. Ryan shared practical alternatives - like using international patent offices with similar climate fast-track schemes and leveraging the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) to speed things up globally.
We also covered the balance between IP protection and open innovation, why patents still matter in the climate crisis, and how to protect ideas early without blowing the budget.
If you're working in climate tech, clean energy, or emissions monitoring and need to protect or scale your innovation, this episode is for you.
Podcast supporters
I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's amazing supporters:
- Lorcan Sheehan
- Jerry Sweeney
- Andreas Werner
- Stephen Carroll
- Roger Arnold
And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one.
Contact
If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn.
If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show.
Credits
Music credits - Intro by Joseph McDade, and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper
218 episodes
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