Ask a growing business what intellectual property it owns and the answer is usually vague: the name is registered, probably. The logo was designed by someone. The domain is on a founder's card. That vagueness is where problems start.
Nobody sets out to be vague. The assets simply build up over years, created by different people, agencies and suppliers, with nobody keeping a single record.
List every asset
Write down each brand asset: company name, product names, logos, taglines, packaging designs, website content, photography, domain names and social handles. Include the ones that feel minor. A product name used on packaging for years can be worth more than the corporate logo.
Include assets in regional languages and alternative spellings, too. A Hindi version of the name on packaging or a local-language campaign line may need the same care as the English one.
Record the right behind each one
Against each asset, note what protects it: trademark applications and registrations with their numbers, classes and status, copyright and who holds it, and any design registrations. For domains and handles, note the account they sit in and who controls it.
Record the owner, precisely
The owner should normally be the business. The inventory often reveals marks in a founder's name, logos still owned by a freelance designer, or a domain registered to an ex-employee. Each one is fixable, and much easier to fix now than during a sale or a dispute.
Also note who has access. Passwords for domains, handles and marketplace brand accounts held by one person are a risk if that person leaves.
Mark the gaps
Some assets will have no protection at all. Not all need it. Mark which ones matter enough to file for, which need an assignment, and which can be left alone. That becomes the working plan.
Prioritise by how much each asset matters to revenue and how exposed it is. A name on every pack comes before a campaign line used once.
Give it an owner and a date
Keep the list in one place, with renewal and deadline dates, and review it at least once a year. A register of trademarks with ten-year renewal dates is useless if nobody looks at it. A trademark attorney or lawyer should review the gaps. This note is general information, not legal advice.
