15 USC § 648c - SBA and USPTO partnerships

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t15/s648c"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "15 USC § 648c - SBA and USPTO partnerships"
title_number: 15
title_name: "COMMERCE AND TRADE"
section_number: "648c"
section_name: "SBA and USPTO partnerships"
chapter_number: 14
chapter_name: "AID TO SMALL BUSINESS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 115–259, § 4, Oct. 9, 2018, 132 Stat. 3664.)"
---


# § 648c. SBA and USPTO partnerships

**(a)** **In general** Beginning not later than 180 days after October 9, 2018, the Administrator, in consultation with the Director, shall develop partnership agreements that—

**(1)** provide for the—

**(A)** development of high-quality training, including in-person or modular training sessions, for small business concerns relating to domestic and international protection of intellectual property;

**(B)** leveraging of training materials already developed for the education of inventors and small business concerns; and

**(C)** participation of a nongovernmental organization; and

**(2)** provide training—

**(A)** through electronic resources, including Internet-based webinars; and

**(B)** at physical locations, including—

**(i)** a small business development center; and

**(ii)** the headquarters or a regional office of the USPTO.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 115–259, § 4, Oct. 9, 2018, 132 Stat. 3664.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was enacted as part of the Small Business Innovation Protection Act of 2017, and not as part of the Small Business Act which comprises this chapter.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Findings

> **“(1)** the USPTO and the SBA are positioned to—
> 
> **“(A)** build upon several successful intellectual property and training programs aimed at small business concerns; and
> 
> **“(B)** increase the availability of and the participation in the programs described in subparagraph (A) across the United States; and
> 
> **“(2)** any education and training program administered by the USPTO and the SBA should be scalable so that the program is able to reach more small business concerns.”

, , , provided that:

### Definitions

> **“(1)** the term ‘Administrator’ means the Administrator of the SBA;
> 
> **“(2)** the term ‘Director’ means the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO;
> 
> **“(3)** the term ‘SBA’ means the Small Business Administration;
> 
> **“(4)** the term ‘small business concern’ has the meaning given the term in section 3(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(a));
> 
> **“(5)** the term ‘small business development center’ means a center described in section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648); and
> 
> **“(6)** the term ‘USPTO’ means the United States Patent and Trademark Office.”

, , , provided that: