Product • IP Protection Kit
IP Protection Kit: secure ownership of your software, brand and key rights — and make your structure investor-ready.
In many startups the most valuable asset (code, brand, domain, designs, know-how) is not properly owned by the company:
it sits with founders or contractors, is undocumented, or can be challenged during DD. This kit helps you identify IP gaps,
document ownership, transfer rights into the right entity, and build a clean IP narrative for partners, investors and M&A.
Outcome: clear ownership + enforceable paperwork + a simple IP registry pack you can show in DD.
Core: IP audit & gaps
Core: Assignments / transfers
Core: Contractor IP clauses
Core: Brand & TM strategy
Optional: Software registration
Best fit for this kit
- Startups with contractors and distributed teams.
- Projects preparing for fundraising or M&A.
- Teams moving to a new jurisdiction / holding entity.
- Brands launching in multiple markets.
Often paired with Website Legal Pack and
Compliance Pack for “institutional readiness”.
Why it matters
Common IP risks this kit removes
These issues typically appear during banking onboarding, partner DD, fundraising and M&A — and can kill a deal.
Ownership
The company doesn’t own the code
Work done by founders/contractors is not properly assigned.
- No IP assignment from founders.
- No contractor IP clauses or work-for-hire logic.
- Unclear repos, accounts and access ownership.
- Licensing conflicts (open-source, third-party code).
Fixing this late is expensive and slows deals.
Brand
Trademark and naming conflicts
A brand that can be challenged is a liability.
- No trademark strategy for key markets.
- Domain and brand assets not owned by the company.
- Inconsistent brand ownership across entities.
- Risk of takedowns or disputes.
Especially relevant before PR, listings and partnerships.
Deal
No “IP story” for investors
DD requires a clean registry and documentation pack.
- No IP inventory and documentation trail.
- No chain of title for key assets.
- No licensing model and internal policy.
- No evidence package for DD questionnaires.
This kit builds a simple, defensible baseline.
Deliverables
What IP Protection Kit includes
Practical documentation to make ownership clear and enforceable — with a DD-ready structure.
Core
IP inventory & gap analysis
A structured list of what you own and what is missing.
- Code, product, designs, brand, domains, content.
- Repository/account/access ownership map.
- Contractor/founder work review baseline.
- Red flags list + fix plan.
Becomes your internal IP register baseline.
Core
Assignment / transfer agreements
Move rights into the correct company/holding entity.
- Founder IP assignment (where needed).
- Contractor IP assignment / work-for-hire clauses.
- Domain/brand asset transfer documents.
- License-back logic if founders keep certain rights.
Creates chain of title for DD.
Core
Contractor templates & clauses
Stop new IP leaks in future development work.
- IP clauses for contractor agreements.
- Confidentiality and invention assignment clauses.
- Deliverables & acceptance logic baseline.
- Optional non-compete / non-solicitation (where enforceable).
Simple, practical “future-proofing”.
Brand
Trademark strategy (baseline)
Where to register first and how to avoid conflicts.
- TM roadmap for key markets and classes (high-level).
- Risk-based prioritization (where it matters first).
- Ownership structure recommendation (who owns TM).
- Preparation checklist for filings with local agents.
Filing itself is usually handled with local patent attorneys.
Optional
Software registration support
If your jurisdiction supports registration / deposit mechanisms.
- Eligibility and evidence checklist.
- Author/rights confirmation logic.
- Preparation of submission materials.
- Coordination with local filing providers.
Useful for certain jurisdictions and DD narratives.
Core
DD-ready IP pack
A simple package you can present to investors/partners.
- IP register baseline + chain of title summary.
- Key agreements index and evidence list.
- Standard explanations for DD questionnaires.
- Next-step recommendations (if gaps remain).
Makes DD faster and less painful.
Process
How we run IP Protection Kit
A structured cleanup that doesn’t disrupt development — but fixes ownership and documentation.
1
Inventory & map
List assets (code, brand, domains), contributors, repos, and current ownership evidence.
2
Identify gaps
Where ownership is unclear, assignments are missing, or contractor clauses are weak.
3
Fix chain of title
Assignments/transfers, contract upgrades, and internal IP register baseline.
4
Prepare DD pack
A clean IP narrative + documentation index for investors, partners or M&A.
Output: clear ownership + enforceable contracts + DD-ready IP evidence pack.
Inputs
What we need from you (simple checklist)
You don’t need a formal “IP registry”. A basic list and access information is enough.
IP assets
- Project name(s), domains, brand assets (logos, designs).
- Code repositories and access (GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket).
- Key contributors (founders, employees, contractors).
- Any existing IP agreements or NDAs (if any).
We convert this into an IP inventory and chain-of-title map.
Business context
- Where the company is incorporated (or planned).
- Whether fundraising / partnership / M&A is upcoming.
- Markets where you care about brand protection.
- Any known disputes or contributor issues (if any).
This shapes the transfer structure and TM priorities.
FAQ
Common questions
IP issues are usually solvable — the main risk is ignoring them until DD.
Is this only relevant for “big” startups?
No. IP ownership problems appear in almost every early-stage team using contractors or multiple founders. Fixing this early is cheaper and makes everything else easier (fundraising, partners, banking).
We don’t have a company yet — can we still do this?
Yes. We can design the ownership route and prepare documents to execute once the company is incorporated. Often we run it together with Company Setup Pack.
Do you file trademarks as part of the kit?
We prepare the strategy and filing package. Filings are typically handled with local patent attorneys/agents in the target jurisdictions (we can coordinate).
What about open-source and third-party licenses?
We can flag typical risks and align contractual and internal documentation. Deep technical license audits can be added as bespoke support.
Need a clean IP ownership story for investors or partners?
Send a short description: what you build, who contributed to code, where your company is (or will be) incorporated,
and whether you plan fundraising/M&A. We’ll propose the exact IP cleanup scope and deliverables.
If you already have some contracts, we can start with a gap analysis and upgrade only what is missing.
Good fit for this kit:
- Contractors built part of your product.
- Preparing for investors, M&A or a big partnership.
- Moving IP into a new jurisdiction/holding entity.
- Launching brand in multiple markets.
Clean chain of title is one of the most frequent DD questions — and one of the easiest to fix early.