IP Advisory Services

Intellectual property advisory and management services provide ongoing support to help a business identify, protect and derive value from its IP assets. They have two interconnected aspects: strategic work involving IP audits, portfolio development and planning, and the day-to-day management of applications, renewals and enforcement. Every IP decision remains aligned with your commercial objectives and growth plans. The aim is to treat intellectual property as a managed asset that generates value.

A strong IP strategy protects the innovations and brands that distinguish your business, ensuring that the competitive advantage you have built remains yours. Planning protection on a market-by-market basis means that the necessary rights are already in place when you expand into a new territory. Formalising ownership of your intangible assets can also increase your company’s valuation and strengthen your position when dealing with investors, partners and potential acquirers. Because the strategy is aligned with product development, funding stages and long-term objectives, protection can keep pace with the company’s growth.

Selling or acquiring IP rights begins with identifying and valuing the relevant assets. Ownership must then be verified, together with the scope of the rights and any restrictions attached to them, such as existing licences. A sale transfers ownership outright through an assignment; licensing is a separate route that grants the right to use the IP without changing who owns it, and the two can be combined. The terms governing the transfer and use of the rights are then drafted and negotiated. For registered rights such as patents, trade marks and designs, the change of ownership usually has to be entered in the relevant register—until it is, the new owner may not be able to enforce the rights or deal in them, which is what makes this step decisive rather than a formality.

IP due diligence begins with a comprehensive review of the intellectual property owned or relied upon by the target company. Each right is checked for ownership, validity and geographical coverage to confirm that the target owns what it claims to own and that the rights apply in the relevant territories. The review also identifies risks that could affect the transaction, including disputes, infringement and gaps in protection. Licences, agreements and dependencies on third parties are assessed because they may restrict how the IP can be used or transferred following the transaction. Together, these findings provide a clear picture of how the IP supports the value and operations of the business being acquired.

Your technology, brand and know-how are often among your company’s most valuable assets. Intellectual property rights give you exclusive control over how they are used, turning an idea into something that you can own, license and defend. Without protection, competitors may be free to copy what you have built, while proving ownership at a later stage can become significantly more difficult. There is also a risk associated with priority: if someone registers a brand or invention before you do, you could lose the right to use your own name or solution.

You should start planning your IP protection as early as possible. Patent and design protection depends on novelty, so a product launch, public pitch deck, trade fair or crowdfunding campaign could place your invention in the public domain and prevent you from obtaining protection. Filing early also secures your priority date if someone else is working on a similar solution. 

Registered rights make a company’s intangible assets verifiable by providing documented evidence of ownership. This reduces the risk examined during due diligence: clear and enforceable rights help maintain a company’s valuation, while gaps in protection may reduce it. The rights themselves also have value, as they can be licensed, sold or used as security. This is why informed intellectual property management pays off.

Yes. Public funding schemes may cover part of the cost of protecting IP, although their availability and scope depend on the jurisdiction and the type of right involved. Programmes operating in the EU and the UK can provide funding towards applications, audits and advisory services. For green technologies, some intellectual property offices also offer reduced fees or accelerated examination. Basck also operates its own programme, Heroes to Carbon Zero. As eligibility criteria and funding conditions may change, please contact our IP advisory team for current information.