What is involved?

We put your IP portfolio under the microscope and compare it against your business objectives

An IP Audit enables you as an established business to understand your IP portfolio, to make sure it provides the assumed IP coverage and supports your business plan to achieve commercial success.

It’s also an important tool for investors as part of a due diligence process.  It assesses the IP owned by a target company to ensure it covers their products and services, and evaluates the execution of its business plan, to minimise IP risk and maximise return on investment.

If you are a brand-led SME or mature start-up, BrandCheck is an essential tool to help you seek investment, build business overseas, or look for an exit.  BrandCheck is particularly helpful if you’re looking to establish and refine your an IP strategy or need help managing your IP portfolio.  It’s ideally suited for businesses with a few main brands, and registered trade marks.

IP Audit

Through the IP Audit we’ll identify those parts of your business that are well protected and any gaps that need to be addressed.  We can also identify any redundant IP rights that might be trimmed from the portfolio.  This approach allows us to create an action plan for your business and ensure your IP maps your business plan and supports your commercial objectives.

IP Audit for Investment

Investors need to know whether a company’s IP portfolio is fit for purpose.  Sophisticated investors will want to understand whether a company’s core IP covers its products and services, whether it is valid, and whether the legal ownership is correct.  Any one of these factors could undermine an investment, or could be used as leverage in a negotiation.  We work with investors to help uncover these issues so that we can advise from an IP perspective on whether an investment is secure.  Our experience of advising both investors and start-ups ensures we have complete transparency of the processes and issues involved – which benefits everyone.

BrandCheck

We use a tool called BrandCheck to ensure that your trade marks are fit for purpose as your business grows.  It’s essentially a stress test against your business plan to identify strengths and weaknesses in your brand protection, and what action needs to be taken to improve it.  Gaining this insight will help you take appropriate action to ensure your brand is properly protected against competitors and copycats, that your protection will stand up to any due diligence, and that you’re ready for growth.

BrandCheck is of greatest benefit to mid-sized companies and those who have undergone recent growth as it ensures your IP strategy is aligned with your business plan.  It can give your business confidence that the IP strategy is in good shape, and that everything has been considered when it comes to brand protection.