Definition

Renewal is the administrative step that extends the validity of an IP title beyond its initial term. For a trademark, renewal occurs every 10 years and may be repeated indefinitely. For a patent, annuities are due each year, up to a maximum of 20 years.

Why it is critical

A missed renewal means a lost right. And a lost right is almost impossible to restore beyond the grace period, immediately available to third parties (competitors, cybersquatters), and synonymous with the loss of an asset worth potentially millions.

Best practices

• Centralise all deadlines in IP software
• Schedule multiple alerts (12, 6, 3 and 1 month before the date)
• Define a renewal policy: who decides, on what criteria, with what budget
• Use renewal time to reassess territorial scope and useful classes
• Keep proof of use to resist non-use cancellation actions
• Coordinate with the renewal of related domain names