Entrepreneurs to get help from MSU IP project

EAST LANSING (AP) -- Michigan State University officials say they aim to help budding entrepreneurs with a new program offering free help with often expensive and complex intellectual property issues. The Intellectual Property Startup Project will consist of law students who are supervised by about a dozen patent attorneys volunteering their time. They will provide basic counseling, filing patents and other help. Project organizers say they hope to serve between 20 and 30 new startups through spring. The team will start its work at the university's Bioeconomy Institute in Holland and identify entrepreneurs and small companies that might benefit from the program. They will work with a consortium that includes the university as well as several economic development organizations in the state. The first meetings are expected to start this month. Published: Thu, Feb 7, 2013