Services for clients across India. Applicable state, sector and professional requirements are assessed before an engagement.
A startup’s name, mark and inventions are assets only when registered and owned by the company — not the founder’s cousin’s account, not an unassigned freelancer’s repo. This advisory runs the IP hygiene layer: trademark strategy and filings, assignment paperwork, and the registers investors check.
When this service is typically required
- The brand is gaining value and the mark is still unregistered
- A rebrand or new product line needs clearance before money is spent
- Diligence flagged IP owned by individuals instead of the company
- Recognised-startup/MSME fee concessions should be used properly
Indicative scope
- Trademark search, class strategy and applications (word/device as fits)
- Objection/examination responses through registration
- IP assignment deeds: founders, employees, freelancers into the company
- IP register and renewal calendar; patent/design coordination with attorneys
Key points at a glance
| Item | Position |
|---|---|
| First truth | Use builds goodwill; registration defends it |
| Concessions | Recognised startups and MSMEs get reduced official fees on specified filings |
| Ownership | Company-owned IP is a diligence checkbox with real veto power |
| Classes | Filing in the wrong class protects the wrong thing |
Deliverables
Search reports, filed applications with numbers, prosecution responses, executed assignment deeds, and the IP register with renewals diarised.
Information and documents generally required
Marks/logos in use, first-use evidence, founder/contractor history for assignments, and business lines for class mapping.
Engagement process
Client responsibilities, assumptions and reliance
Truthful use claims and prompt instructions on objections are the client’s; registry timelines and outcomes belong to the registry.
Scope exclusions
Infringement litigation and patent drafting (run with specialist attorneys, coordinated here); no registration outcome is assured.
Frequently asked questions
We have been using the name for two years. Safe?
Use helps, but an earlier filer can make life expensive — the search tells you the honest position this week, not after the dispute.
Word mark or logo first?
Budget-forced choices usually favour the word mark’s broader protection; the strategy step decides on your facts.
A freelancer built our core module. Who owns it?
Without assignment, often the freelancer — the deed fixes it cheaply now; diligence prices it painfully later.
How long does registration take?
Registry-dependent, often long — priority comes from filing early, which is the controllable part.
The applicable scope, documentation, professional responsibilities and timelines are agreed in an engagement letter before commencement.
Founder Agreements (IP clauses)Diligence ReadinessDeep-Tech RecognitionRequest a Scope DiscussionThis page describes the service in general terms as on 6 August 2026 and is not professional advice or an assurance of any outcome. Registrations, filings, refunds and departmental outcomes depend on facts and the concerned authority. Figures and due dates change; verify current positions before acting.
| Compliance | Due | Note |
|---|---|---|
| FLA return (RBI) | 15 July (annual) | All entities with FDI/ODI on books |
| FC-GPR | 30 days from allotment | For fresh foreign investment |
| Valuation report (Rule 11UA / FEMA) | Before issue price is fixed | Method and valuer depend on route |
| ESOP: board/valuation/PAS-3 chain | Event-based | Perquisite TDS on exercise |
| DPIIT recognition | Anytime (before benefits) | Needed for 80-IAC and angel-tax relief |
Dates as generally applicable on 15 July 2026; extensions/notifications can change them — confirm current dates before relying.