As a general rule, building an internal IP team makes sense once a company is working with more than five patent attorneys or engineers simultaneously. Below that threshold, the costs, headcount and IP management software, are structurally disproportionate to the workload. UCIPS was designed precisely for this intermediate stage: active, growing portfolios that warrant rigorous management, but do not yet justify full internalisation.

Yes. We carry out a straightforward comparative analysis tailored to your portfolio and structure, giving you a solid basis on which to make and communicate your decision.

Desk centralises the administrative management of your portfolio in support of your lead firm. Studio goes further: it coordinates all your external firms and agents and handles filing formalities directly. Both operate on the same secure infrastructure, with the same level of operational commitment.

No. UCIPS manages exclusively the administrative and operational dimensions (procedural form, not substantive). Technical patent matters, trademark strategy and all substantive decisions remain the responsibility of the IP manager and their counsel. Our role is to relieve your internal and external advisors of the operational load, so they can focus on what requires their expertise.

Yes. UCIPS operates in complement to your internal or external counsels, handling the operational execution of their recommendations and the rigorous upkeep of your portfolio.

Signatory authority for direct contact with patent and trademark offices (EPO, WIPO, national offices) remains with the client or their appointed agent. Where the IP manager holds recognised accreditation (as a patent attorney, registered agent or trademark attorney) they may sign directly. The same applies to employees of the applicant. In all other cases, UCIPS engages an authorised signatory. We define this jointly at the outset.

Each portfolio is managed in a fully isolated environment, with strictly compartmentalised access controls. The multi-client architecture of our platform was designed from the outset to guarantee this separation.

We cover all International procedures (PCT and Madrid System), EP and national phases, for both patents and trademarks, across all jurisdictions, through a network of accredited local agents.

We begin with a full assessment of your existing portfolio, followed by a structured set-up phase: onboarding, data migration and qualification, without any disruption to your ongoing operations.

Establishing a functional in-house IP department requires at minimum three distinct profiles: a senior paralegal to lead the transition and structure the processes, a junior paralegal for day-to-day work, and a technical specialist for specific tasks such as software configuration and workflow design. Add software licensing costs and training time. For most companies, this represents a disproportionate investment relative to the volume of activity. UCIPS gives you access to all three levels of expertise, without the associated fixed costs.