Sec. 31. USPTO STUDY ON INTERNATIONAL PATENT PROTECTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

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## SEC. 31 USPTO STUDY ON INTERNATIONAL PATENT PROTECTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES ###

(a)Study Required The Director, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, shall, using the existing resources of the Office, carry out a study— ####

(1)to determine how the Office, in coordination with other Federal departments and agencies, can best help small businesses with international patent protection; and ####

(2)whether, in order to help small businesses pay for the costs of filing, maintaining, and enforcing international patent applications, there should be established either— #####

(A)a revolving fund loan program to make loans to small businesses to defray the costs of such applications, maintenance, and enforcement and related technical assistance; or #####

(B)a grant program to defray the costs of such applications, maintenance, and enforcement and related technical assistance. ###

(b)Report Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall issue a report to the Congress containing— ####

(1)all findings and determinations made in carrying out the study required under subsection (a); ####

(2)a statement of whether the determination was made that— #####

(A)a revolving fund loan program described under subsection (a)(2)(A) should be established; #####

(B)a grant program described under subsection (a)(2)(B) should be established; or #####

(C)neither such program should be established; and ####

(3)any legislative recommendations the Director may have developed in carrying out such study.