Create an inventory, not a guess
Start with a page listing your brand identifiers, technical developments, creative assets and product designs. Add each asset’s creator, current owner, location and planned use. This is a useful internal exercise even before you know which rights may apply.
Choose the decisions that cannot wait
Mark public launches, technical demos, investor presentations, manufacturing orders and publication dates. A business preparing to disclose an invention has different priorities from one refreshing a logo. Bring the timeline to your adviser so that urgent decisions are visible.
Check the people and paperwork
Gather founder, employee and contractor agreements relevant to the assets. Record any licences for stock media, software or other outside material. If documents are missing, flag that gap rather than writing “owned by us” without evidence.
An example: a small product launch
A fictional homeware business plans to launch a new bottle. The founders collect the brand shortlist, packaging artwork, product drawings and designer agreement. They also note the date of a planned trade show. That single folder gives their adviser a clear picture of the work, its contributors and the next public milestone.
Leave with a written action list
At the end of a discussion, ask for the next steps, responsibilities, documents needed and any relevant deadlines. Clarify professional fees separately from official charges. Revisit the inventory when the business enters a new market, commissions new work or changes its product.
Read further
General information checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Rules and procedures may change. Seek professional advice before acting. Illustrative examples are not client cases.
A question about your own work?
Start with a high-level description and we can discuss the next step.
Talk to Markinsure ↗
