Other IP rights · IP audit
Find out what IP you own, what's missing and what's about to expire
An IP audit is a complete inventory of the rights a company holds: trademarks, designs, domains, copyright and the contracts behind them. Brand New IP checks what is registered, in whose name, for which goods and territories, what is due to expire and where you're exposed. You get a written report with a calendar of deadlines and recommendations ranked by risk and cost.
We inventory your trademarks, designs, domains and contracts, find the gaps in protection and give you a renewal calendar and a list of priorities.
Your first consultation is free.
Who it’s for
This is for you if…
- Companies that filed trademarks in different years, through different advisers, and no longer have a clear picture
- Businesses preparing for investment, a sale or a merger
- Brands expanding into new markets or product lines
- Companies that worked with agencies and freelancers without clear transfer contracts
What’s included
What we do for you
- An inventory of trademarks, designs, domains and social media accounts
- Checking the owner of record: the right company, an up-to-date address, nothing left in a shareholder's name
- Comparing your protection with what you actually do: goods, services, Nice classes, territories
- Checking use of trademarks older than 5 years, which are exposed to revocation
- Reviewing contracts: agency transfers, licences, coexistence agreements
- A calendar of renewals and deadlines for every right
- A written report with ranked recommendations and estimated costs
How it works
The steps, one by one
Step 1: Kick-off conversation
We learn about the business, your products, markets and plans, and why you need an audit now.
Step 2: Collect the information
You send us the documents you have, and we search the OSIM, EUIPO and WIPO registers for everything in the company's and shareholders' names.
Step 3: Analysis
We compare the registered rights with what you actually use and with the contracts you've signed.
Step 4: The report
You get the inventory, the deadline calendar and the list of recommendations, ranked by risk and cost.
Step 5: Go through the recommendations
We walk through the report together and decide what to fix now and what can wait.
IP audit
What audits often turn up
A few situations we see a lot:
- the trademark is registered to the founder or to an old company, not the one using it;
- the logo has changed, but the registered mark is still the old version;
- the company has been selling online for two years, and the mark doesn't cover retail services in class 35;
- the agency contract doesn't transfer copyright in the logo;
- a renewal was missed and the mark is in its 6-month grace period, with a surcharge.
All of these can be fixed. It costs less if you find them before an investor or a competitor does.
Documents
What we need from you
- A list of the trademarks and other rights you know you have, with certificates
- A list of current and planned goods, services and markets
- Contracts with agencies, designers, partners and licensees
- A list of the brand's domains and social media accounts
Frequently asked questions
Questions about ip audit
What is an IP audit?
It's a full review of a company's intellectual property: which trademarks, designs, domains and copyright it holds, in whose name, what they cover and when they expire. The audit also shows the gaps, such as products sold under an unprotected mark or logos without a transfer contract. The result is a written report with recommendations and deadlines.
When does an IP audit make sense?
Most often before an investment, a sale of the company or a merger, when the buyer or investor will check the rights anyway. It also makes sense before expanding into new markets, after a rebrand, or when trademarks were filed in different years through different advisers and nobody has the full list any more. For companies with many marks, a periodic review prevents rights from lapsing.
What do I get at the end of the audit?
A written report with an inventory of your rights, the status of each one in the registers, the gaps we found and a calendar of renewals and deadlines. Recommendations are ranked by risk and cost, so you know what to fix now and what can wait. We go through the report together, and you decide what to do next and who does it.
Does the audit cover domains and social media accounts?
Yes. We check them because that's where conflicts often show up: a .com domain held by someone else, an Instagram handle with your brand name already taken, or a domain registered in a former employee's name. Social media accounts aren't IP rights, but they matter for how you use and defend your trademark.
How much does an IP audit cost?
The price depends on how many rights the company has, in how many countries, and how many contracts need reading. For a company with a few trademarks in Romania, the audit is much shorter than for a group with an international portfolio. We send you a quote after the initial conversation, which is free, so you know the cost before we start.
Related services
- Trademark strategyThe first consultation is free. We settle the mark type, Nice classes and territory before you pay a single fee.
- Trademark renewalWe renew OSIM, EUIPO and WIPO trademarks for another 10 years, for all goods and services or just some of them.
- IP contractsWe draft and review licences, assignments, coexistence agreements and copyright transfers, then record them with OSIM or EUIPO when needed.
Let’s talk about your trademark.
The first consultation is free. We’ll tell you honestly what can be protected, how and what it costs, before you pay anything.