S-791 : Still Just a Bill

Small Business Innovation Protection Act of 2017

This bill directs the Small Business Administration to develop partnership agreements that provide for:

• development of high-quality training for small businesses related to domestic and international protection of intellectual property,
• leveraging of training materials already developed for the education of inventors and small businesses, and
• participation of a nongovernmental organization.

These agreements must also provide training:

• through electronic resources, including Internet-based webinars; and
• at physical locations, including a small business development center (SBDC) and the headquarters or a regional office of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The bill amends the Small Business Act to require services at an SBDC to include training, in person or through a website, relating to:

• domestic and international intellectual property protections, and
• how those protections should be considered in the business plans and growth strategies of small businesses.