Portfolio survey and review of the basic documents:

• At the beginning, the number and status of the IP rights concerned in the respective countries is determined. Then the available documents are checked, on the basis of which the transfer (e.g. excerpt from the commercial register, ...), the transfer of ownership (e.g. purchase agreement, demerger agreement, merger agreement, ...) or the registration of a lien or license (e.g. lien or license agreement, ...) is to be initiated.

Determining the recordal strategy:

• Changes in ownership, as well as transfers, are sometimes complex. A chain of change steps is often necessary to ensure that the current owner is entered in the register at the end. For this reason, the change process is clearly defined in advance and the sequence of the necessary change steps is determined. Furthermore, a client-specific chronological order of the IP rights to be transferred is established (usually based on current deadlines).

Survey of costs and documents:

• Once the scope of the IP rights and the strategy have been defined, the relevant documents and exact costs are collected from the partners in the respective countries so that a cost estimate can be submitted that is as detailed and transparent as possible.

Preparation of the documents:

• Specific documents are required for each country and also for each type of IP right. In order to ensure the most compact and convenient process possible, the documents are prepared as far as possible ready to sign together with the corresponding information sheets. In our overview matrix, we also provide an up-to-date overview of the country-specific requirements and the respective recordal status for each country and type of IP right.

Communication from a single source:

• We coordinate the dispatch of documents and communication both to the client – if necessary also to their representatives – as well as to the offices and abroad. This ensures short information paths and minimizes loss of information. On request, we can also obtain notarized documents, apostilles, legalizations and (certified) translations.

Careful checking before completion:

• Our checks are carried out in accordance with the four-eyes principle, as the large number of different country-specific documents results in a complexity of requirements that necessitates both a thorough check of the documents before submission and a check of the official notifications/register entries for accuracy and completeness after registration.

The exact steps may vary depending on the legal system and type of the IP right.
It is therefore advisable to consult or commission a specialist.

ABP is such a specialist.