What intellectual property (IP) does your business own? Is it properly protected? Could your business be infringing others’ rights? To get a clear picture of where your business stands, an IP audit could be the answer.
Innovative businesses generate new ideas, inventions, products, brands, data and information all the time. Some of those innovations may best be protected by applying for registered rights, such as patents, registered trade marks and registered designs, while some may best be protected in other ways (for example, by keeping things secret). An IP audit can help identify those innovations and help develop a strategy to protect them. At the same time, we’ll review your partnerships with contractors and consultants, making sure there is no confusion over who owns any IP rights. Doing this early on in your working relationship can avoid potential pitfalls – saving time and costs.
Our commercially-focussed IP audit reports are tailored to your business, its needs, and your budget. We will provide you with advice as to the types of IP protection that are relevant to your business’ needs now and in the future. We will recommend action you can take to both strengthen your IP position and deal with any possible freedom-to-operate issues.
Support for IP audits is available for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) as part of the UKIPO’s IP Advance scheme. The IP Advance scheme comprises an initial phase, IP Audit, in which companies are helped to identify their IP and a second phase, IP Access, in which companies are provided with funding to protect their IP or develop their IP strategy further. In the IP Audit, the SME pays £750 inc. VAT, with the UKIPO providing funding of £2250 inc. VAT via its regional partners. In England, contact Innovate UK Business Growth via their National Enquiry Gateway at contact@innovateukedge.ukri.org.
For the Highlands and Islands region of Scotland, contact Highlands and Islands Enterprise via their website at www.hie.co.uk/contact-us/general-enquiries/, and for the South of Scotland region, contact South of Scotland Enterprise via their website at www.southofscotlandenterprise.com. For elsewhere in Scotland, contact Scottish Enterprise via their website www.scottish-enterprise.com/contact-us or email the Scottish Enterprise Intellectual Property Specialist Team at IPTeam@scotent.co.uk.
In Northern Ireland, contact the Invest Northern Ireland Intellectual Property team on tau-ip@investni.com.
In Wales, contact the Welsh Government at intellectual.property.information@gov.wales. For information about their Business Wales support programmes visit businesswales.gov.wales.
It’s a great place to start to understand what IP your company has and how you can strengthen your IP position.
As part of its IP Advance scheme, the UKIPO is providing further financial support for SMEs, in addition to IP Audit. IP Access is designed to provide financial support to further develop IP strategy after an audit or to implement recommendations made in an IP Audit (such as the filing of patent, trade mark or design applications). IP Access provides up to £2250 inc. VAT part-funding, with the SME making a contribution of at least 50%. Applications for funding should be submitted through the same partners as for IP Audit.
To find out more or to discuss your individual needs, contact us.
