What to protect, and with what
Not every solution is secured the same way. One calls for a patent, another for an industrial or utility design, yet another for a trademark.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
IP protection strategies
Most companies protect ideas, brands and technologies piece by piece, reacting to immediate needs — the result is gaps and overpriced filings. I'll work out a strategy with you: what to protect, with what, where and in what order, matched to where your business is heading.
PLN 0 — initial case assessment. We start with an IP audit — a concrete map of what you have.
FIG. 01 / WHAT A STRATEGY IS
A strategy isn't a single filing — it's a plan for the whole picture
Filing a patent or a trademark solves one thing. A strategy answers the broader question: what in your company is genuinely valuable, what to protect it with, in which markets, for how long and on what budget.
Instead of reacting only once a competitor copies something or an investor asks about safeguards, you know upfront what you have, what's exposed, and in what order to close the gaps. That's the difference between filing blind and consciously building an advantage.
FIG. 02 / WHY YOU NEED A STRATEGY
Why you need an IP strategy
-
01
Company value
Well-secured IP is a real asset that raises a company's valuation.
-
02
The investor conversation
Investors analyze an IP portfolio as part of due diligence. A patent filing shows an idea has objective potential and removes the risk of uncontrolled disclosure. A protected solution is viewed very differently from one described only internally.
-
03
Additional revenue
You can license or sell IP rights.
-
04
Avoiding costly mistakes
No plan means the risk of infringing others' rights, pulling a product from the market, rebranding and paying damages.
-
05
Market advantage
Building "families" of trademarks, designs and patents, and a conscious decision about whether your rights should deter competitors or serve to actively fight them.
FIG. 03 / KEY DECISIONS
The decisions a good strategy makes
Ad-hoc filing skips the questions a strategy asks consciously.
Where and for how long
Protection is territorial — there's no single global right. A strategy sets the markets and the time horizon, and fits them to a real budget.
Whether the rights are actually yours
Solutions are created by employees and contractors. Without the right contract clauses, ownership can be unclear — and that gap surfaces during a dispute or a transaction.
Key fork in the road
Patent or trade secret?
Patent
- Grants a market monopoly — the exclusive right to use the solution.
- Requires disclosing the solution in the application.
- Protection is time-limited — up to 20 years.
Trade secret
- Protects indefinitely — as long as the solution stays secret.
- You disclose nothing externally.
- Often better when the life cycle is shorter than 20 years, or when you don't want to reveal the solution.
Some things can't be patented at all — but they can be protected as know-how. Which route to take is something I assess with you, looking also at the technical side and the technology's life cycle.
FIG. 04 / WHY ME
IP strategy sits at the meeting point of technology, law and business — and I stand on all three
Three perspectives in one person
The decision of what to patent and what to keep secret requires a technical assessment, not just a legal one — you have to know what's genuinely innovative and what the technology's life cycle is. I'm a patent attorney and a habilitated doctor of materials engineering, so I look at your solutions through a scientist's eyes and at their protection through an attorney's. I also advise on implementation, so I build the protection strategy together with how you actually intend to earn from the solution — not in isolation from the business.
FIG. 05 / IP AUDIT
The first step is an IP audit
You can't build a strategy without knowing what the company has. That's why we start with an IP audit — a map of your intellectual property. I check what rights and assets you hold, their legal status, where the gaps and risks are, and what's critical for your business. It's a concrete picture of the situation before you make bigger decisions — and a natural start to working together.
-
01
Audit and IP map
What you have, what's protected, what's exposed.
-
02
Report with recommendations
Actions split into urgent, planned and potential, with costs.
-
03
Action map
The plan: what, with what, where and in what order.
-
04
Implementation and ongoing management
I carry out the plan and keep it on track over time.
FIG. 06 / WHO IT'S FOR
Who it makes sense for
An IP strategy isn't only for the big players. It makes sense for any company with something valuable to protect — a technology, a brand, a design. Especially for:
R&D teams and technology companies
Startups preparing for the investor conversation
Universities and institutes commercializing research
Any company at a turning point (new product, expansion, transaction, financing)
FIG. 07 / COSTS
How much a strategy and audit cost
A strategy and audit are quoted individually, because their scope depends on the size of the company and how much IP you actually have. We start with a conversation — after it, I set the audit scope and give you a concrete quote.
Assessment and consultation (net)
PLN 0–650
PLN 0 — initial case assessment. PLN 500 — consultation (up to 60 min). PLN 650 — technical-patent consultation (up to 90 min).
Ongoing strategic advice (net)
from PLN 250/h
Ongoing support and decisions within the strategy — billed hourly.
IP strategy and audit (net)
quoted individually
Scope depends on company size and how much IP you have — I set it after an initial, free conversation.
Net prices.
FIG. 08 / RELATED SERVICES
A strategy ties all the services into one whole
An IP strategy doesn't replace individual services — it organizes them and puts them in order. Within it, we draw on:
Patents and utility models
Protection of technical solutions.
See →Patent searches / FTO
Before you invest or enter the market.
See →Trademarks
Brand protection.
See →Industrial designs
Protection of a product's appearance.
See →Technology and implementation consulting
When decisions also involve whether and how to implement the technology.
See →FIG. 09 / FAQ
Frequently asked questions about IP strategy
A filing is a single action — it protects one thing. A strategy is a plan for your whole IP: what, with what, where and in what order to protect, matched to the company's goals.
It depends, among other things, on whether you want to disclose the solution and what its life cycle is. A patent grants a monopoly but requires disclosure; a trade secret protects indefinitely as long as it stays secret. I'll assess it with you, looking also at the technical side.
Yes, if you have anything valuable to protect. I scale the plan to the size of the company and the budget.
A map of your IP and a report with recommendations split into urgent, planned and potential actions — with costs.
The quote is individual, and I give it after an initial, free conversation once I know the scope.
Don't see your question here? Write to me and I'll give you a concrete answer.
Write to me