Calendar of Events

Please click on a link below or scroll down to view event details.

Thursday, 5/08/08: Film/Video and Music Seminar
Tuesday, 5/13/08: Portland Inventors Forum
Monday, 6/02/08: MTI Development Award Applications due
Thursday, 6/12/08: MTI Seed Grant Applications due

Maine Patent Program Seminars & Workshops:

PATENT BASICS

The Maine Patent Program will present a seminar on how to patent your invention. The seminar will address what types of inventions are subject to patent protection, the practical steps to obtain a patent, and how one can perform searches on their own invention. This seminar fulfills the prerequisite to recieve patent services from the Maine Patent Program.

Check back soon for upcoming patent basics seminars in PORTLAND.

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MAINE INVENTORS FORUMS

Inventors forums are free and open to the public (no membership fee and no pre-registration required).

The next Maine Inventors Forum will be held on May 13, 2008 in the Middle Classroom at the Law School in Portland from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM

Speakers:Christopher Speh of the Maine Angels

Mr. Speh will discuss the following topics during his presentation:
* The difference between angel investors and venture capitalists, and how to talk effectively to both groups.
* The return that angels target from their investments, and why return on investment may not top the list of priorities surrounding their investment.
* Expectations of angels regarding their relationship with the founder, the founder’s team, and the venture.
* Why deals get turned down, and what you can do to make yours more attractive.
* How to find, nurture relationships and eventually close deals with angels.
* How to perform due diligence on a potential angel investor.
* When to turn away perfectly good cash.
* Other means of financing your early stage business

Chris Speh was recently elected Chair of Maine Angels, the premier private equity investment network in Maine. Since its inception in 2003, Maine Angel members have invested over $2 million in 16 promising companies. Chris has 35 years of diverse industry experience and has invested in 12 private companies, been an LP in four angel/venture funds
and built two entrepreneurial companies to successful exit as a co-funding shareholder. He sold his most recent company in September 2003 and relocated to Maine in 2005. He has held adjunct faculty positions at three universities teaching undergraduate corporate finance
courses and he holds an MBA from Keenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill and an MA degree in public policy from Birmingham University and a BA from Bowdoin College.

The Maine Inventors Forum is an informal group of inventors, engineers, problem-solvers,and other professionals who get together to discuss their ideas, to network with each other, and to learn about legal, financial, technical and related subjects of interest to the inventing community. The event is co-sponsored by the Maine Patent Program and the Maine Small Business Development Centers, and forums are held in Portland (see schedule below). For more information, please contact the Maine Patent Program at patent@usm.maine.edu or by phone at 207-874-6521.

Portland Inventors Forum
Meets second Tuesday in September, November, January, March and May

Driving Directions

All inventors and entrepreneurs are encouraged to attend this event; however, participants ay be required to sign a confidentiality agreement should participants choose to display or discuss inventions. The goal of the Forum is to provide an informal venue where groups of inventors, engineers, problem-solvers, and other professionals can get together to discuss their ideas, to network with each other, and to learn about legal, financial, technical and related subjects of interest to the inventing community. The event is free and open to the public.

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Other Events, Seminars & Workshops:

COPRYRIGHT AND CREATIVE SEMINARS

The Center for Law & Innovation and the Maine Center for Creativity are co-hosting a series of seminars at the University of Maine School of Law. Each seminar will feature a creative expert and a legal expert to discuss how copyright law affects various works of art. This series is sponsored by Pierce Atwood.

FINE ARTS and GRAPHIC DESIGN - Friday, February 8th
Speakers: Angela Adams and Margaret O'Keefe

VISUAL ARTS and PUBLISHING - Friday, March 14th
Speakers: Connie Hayes and Stephen Canders

SOFTWARE and ANIMATION GRAPHICS - Friday, April 11th
Speakers: Scott Nash and Peter Guffin

FILM/VIDEO and MUSIC - Thursday, May 8th
Speakers: Spencer Albee and Mark Fisher

Please note that the date and venue for our May seminar has changed!

Our May 8th seminar will be held from 3:30 to 5:00 PM in the Room 165 in the Science Building at the University of Southern Maine's Portland Campus. Driving Directions Portland Campus Map
Admission will be $5 for students, $10 for the general public, and $20 for attorneys seeking CLE credit. Please pre-register by e-mailing patent@usm.maine.edu or by calling Kathryn or Nicole at 874-6521. Admission will be collected at the door - cash or check only please.

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MAINE TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE DEADLINES

6/12/08 SEED GRANTS Grants of up to $12,500 per project are offered on a competitive basis to support very early activities for product development, commercialization, or business planning and development. Complete applications must be in the MTI office by 5:00 p.m. (405 Water Street, Suite 300; Gardiner, ME 04345) For an application visit: MTI's Seed Grant Webpage.

6/02/08 DEVELOPMENT AWARDS Up to $500,000 per project available. Complete applications must be in the MTI office by 5:00 p.m. (405 Water Street, Suite 300; Gardiner, ME 04345) For an application visit: MTI's Development AwardsWebpage.

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