The IP Audit Service

Good IP decisions rest on an accurate view of what you hold. An intellectual property audit is a structured look at the rights you use, the rights you already own and the ones you are still acquiring.
At Basck, audits are run by a team of professionals who understand both the law and the technology behind it. We go through your filings, your agreements and the assets nobody has got round to registering yet, then set all of it against what the business is actually doing. That comparison is where the gaps show up.

What is involved in an IP audit?

IP audits take one shape with two patents, another with a portfolio spread across a dozen territories. What goes into it depends on why you are doing it.
Almost every audit starts by listing everything you hold: registered rights such as patents and trade marks, plus the unregistered ones that might slip off the record. For those on a register, the check covers whether they remain in force and whether fees are up to date.
Ownership is the other area that rarely gets left out. The audit checks whether the rights belong to the company, who else may use them and on what terms, and whether anyone outside is claiming ownership or rights in them. It goes in both directions, since somebody may be using your IP without permission while you may be relying on somebody else’s.
Where the purpose calls for it, the audit reaches further. IP policies can be reviewed as well, from rules on confidential information through to agreements with employees and contractors.
Expect to be asked for materials: existing IP policies and strategies, agreements with an intellectual property element, a list of the rights you hold with supporting documentation, and a description of any disputes.

Benefits of Conducting IP Audits

Most portfolios hold surprises. An IP audit brings them out while you still have room to decide what to do about them.

A full list of what you own: companies often hold more IP than they can name, and anything that arrived with an acquisition or a collaboration can be overlooked or poorly recorded. Everything lands in one inventory, down to the potentially protectable IP nobody has protected yet.
Blank spots on your protection map: a registered IP right only works in the territory it was granted for. Sell into a market you never filed in, and you may lack the registered protection you rely on at home An audit compares your filings with the markets you actually sell into.

Rights that cost more than they return: keeping rights alive takes money whether or not they earn it back. You find out which ones pull their weight and which ones you have been funding out of habit.
Answers ready before the questions come: investment or acquisition talks can open from one day to the next, and the IP questions land with a deadline counted in days. A documented portfolio means you answer more quickly and with less reconstruction.

Why and to whom is it useful?

IP audits matter most when the stakes rise. When the business changes direction, what you hold may no longer support where you are heading. When you raise money, investors ask which rights you have and whether ownership stands up. A buyer or a partner asks the same, then adds one more question: can those rights be transferred at all?
Rising renewal costs push companies to look as well, as does the ambition to build income from what you already own. Before a licensing deal or a dispute, ownership and validity have to withstand close scrutiny.
Founders, CTOs and the teams building the technology have the most to gain. They know their product inside out but rarely have time to map their own IP. In healthtech and greentech, where value sits across patents, software and data at once, an audit puts the whole picture in one place.

FAQ

How often should companies conduct intellectual property audits?

There is no fixed schedule that fits every business. It helps to review your IP regularly, and to run a dedicated audit whenever something significant changes – a shift in strategy, a new market, an upcoming funding round, or a planned transaction. The value of IP moves with your technology and your commercial context, so a portfolio that looked complete a year ago can develop gaps as the business grows. Treating the review as a recurring habit, rather than a one-off, keeps those gaps from going unnoticed.

How long does a comprehensive IP audit usually take to complete?

It depends on what is being reviewed and how ready the information is. Several factors shape the timeline: the size and structure of your portfolio, the depth and scope you need, and the number of jurisdictions involved. Unregistered rights can take longer to document than registered ones. So does a large or complex set of agreements, or any ongoing disputes that need looking into. The purpose matters too – a routine review is quicker than an audit preparing you for investment or a transaction. In practice, one of the biggest variables sits on your side: how well organised your records are, and how quickly the relevant documents reach the team.

What are the main risks of not conducting regular IP audits?

One significant risk is using someone else’s IP without realising it, which can lead to pulling a product from the market or paying damages. Depending on the scope of the audit, that may indicate a need for separate clearance or freedom-to-operate work.
Close behind is the reverse problem: not being able to prove that the rights you rely on are actually yours. Without a regular review, registered rights can lapse quietly when renewal deadlines slip, while other rights keep drawing fees despite not adding much. Gaps in protection often surface at the worst possible moment – during due diligence, when an investor or acquirer is the one to find them. And value that could have been licensed or sold simply stays hidden.

Who should be involved in conducting an intellectual property audit?

An IP audit works best as a shared effort. On your side, it helps to involve the people who create and manage relevant assets: legal or IP staff, marketing and brand owners, the people responsible for your website and digital products, R&D, and designers, together with anyone holding the key agreements and policies. Carrying out the review itself can benefit from a mix of legal and technical expertise, since assessing ownership, validity and value rarely sits with one discipline alone.