Step-by-step guide: Managing patent renewals with software

Patent renewals require careful tracking, especially for IP holders managing intellectual property in-house or through an IP law firm.  Without an automated, modern platform, managing patent renewals becomes a time-consuming, error-prone process that can lead to missed deadlines and unnecessary expenses.

Here are the key issues you can face with these approaches:

In-house patent renewal challenges:

• Tracking patents with spreadsheets or outdated systems leads to errors
• Communicating with agents and patent offices adds complexity
• Missed renewals can result in lost patent protection
• Manual patent renewal processes increase costs

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Challenges when managing patents through law firms:

• They often use processes without any digitalization
• Law firms most of the time outsource their clients' patent renewals, adding intermediaries and extra expenses
• Paying for patent renewals through a law firm includes additional administrative costs
• Lack of automation increases manual tasks

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What are the benefits of an IP management software?
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An IP management software eliminates these risks by centralizing IP renewals into a single platform. Providing an automated IP management solution and helping businesses track deadlines, receive renewal reminders, and optimize costs.

The PatentRenewal.com IP management software is designed to simplify patent, trademark, design, and utility model renewals and manage renewals effortlessly. With one-click IP renewals, the entire IP renewal process is automated by our team of IP professionals.

More benefits include:

• Automated patent renewals
• Flexible patent renewal instructions
• Real-time process tracking
• Easy filtering & smart search on the platform
• Personalized patent report exporting
• Patent data accuracy verification
• Easy patent portfolio updates & self patent case upload

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How to renew patents with the IP management software
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Manually handling patent renewals can be a time-consuming process, requiring multiple steps and coordination. With the PatentRenewal.com IP management software, renewing patents is as easy as clicking a button.

Choose your patent renewal instruction

You have four flexible options for managing your renewals in real-time:

• Enable automatic patent renewal – Let the system handle renewals without manual intervention.
• Place the patent renewal on hold – Delay renewal processing if you need time for a decision.
• Stop renewals – Choose not to renew a patent if it no longer aligns with your strategy.
• Allow the patent to enter surcharge status – Delay payment until necessary while maintaining compliance.

How to track patent renewals in real-time

Staying updated on the status of your patent renewals is essential to ensuring compliance and avoiding missed deadlines. The PatentRenewal.com software allows you to track the patent renewal process step-by-step, much like tracking a parcel delivery.

Monitor the patent renewal process step by step

Under Status Overview, you can get an instant indication of how your renewal is progressing. Under Track you can also find a more detailed breakdown of the patent renewal process and its steps.

See clear tracking of when:

• The renewal payment is required
• Transaction is confirmed
• The patent office received the payment
• The patent renewal is complete

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How the IP management software ensures your patent data is accurate
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Mistakes in patent data, such as incorrect renewal dates or missing annuity years can lead to compliance issues and unnecessary expenses. The PatentRenewal.com software ensures data accuracy through a built-in verification process supported by IP experts.

Step 1: Upload your patent portfolio

During onboarding, your entire IP portfolio is imported into the software but you can add additional cases yourself at any time.

Step 2: Automated data verification

The system runs a data verification algorithm to check for inconsistencies in patent renewal due dates, annuity years, if the renewal has been paid already, and all jurisdiction-specific requirements.

Step 3: Expert validation

Our IP renewal expert team manually reviews the data to confirm its accuracy, ensuring error-free renewal tracking.

With this double-layered verification process, businesses can trust that their patent renewal tracking is reliable and compliant.

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How to find and organize your patent data easily
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Managing a large patent portfolio can be overwhelming, especially when searching for specific patents or renewal costs. The IP management software provides powerful filters and search tools to help businesses locate relevant information quickly.

Step 1: Apply filters to narrow results

Users can filter patents by:

• Region and country
• Intellectual property type (patents, trademarks, utility models, designs)
• Annuity years and renewal due dates
• Invoice due dates and cost centers
• Renewal status
• Renewal instruction
• Payment status
• Patent family etc.

Step 2: Use smart search

The text search function allows users to quickly find patents based on custom references, family IDs, or status labels such as:

• IP owner
• Application number
• Publication number
• Grant number
• PCT number 
• Priority number

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How to add your patents to the IP management software

Step 1: Access the patent entry form

Choose if you want to add a single or multiple patents.

Step 2: Enter patent Information

Fill in key details about your patents and its filing status:

• IP details: Select the region, country, cost center, and specify the IP type (patent, trademark, utility model, or design). Enter the official application number.
• Filing & PCT information: Indicate if it's a PCT application and provide filing dates if applicable.
• Publication & grant info: Specify if the IP is published (enter publication number) and granted (enter grant date and number).
• References: Add internal/external references for better tracking.
• Surcharge: Indicate if the IP has a surcharge for accurate cost tracking.

Step 3: Review and submit

• Carefully review all the entered information to ensure accuracy.
• Click Add patent to add it to the system.
• The IP is now stored in your IP management software, ready for future renewal tracking and updates.

If you accidentally enter the wrong details, don’t worry! Our expert IP team reviews and cross-checks every entry to make sure your data is accurate.

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Common questions about the IP management software
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• How can I start using the IP management software?

Sign up for a demo, and our expert team will onboard you for a smooth transition. The onboarding process takes about a month to ensure accuracy and avoid double renewals. First, we introduce the next steps and contact your current IP renewal provider to request your patent data. Once we receive the full export, we validate, upload, and integrate your portfolio into the platform. The final step is a guided walkthrough, where we show you how to use the system efficiently. Once everything is set up, you can log in and start managing your patents right away.
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• Do you have in-house IP expertise? 

Yes! Our team includes IP experts with deep knowledge of patent renewals and intellectual property management. Who specialize in streamlining the renewal process, verifying patent data, and ensuring compliance with jurisdictional rules.
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• Can I use the IP management software for IP renewals in any jurisdiction?

Our software provides a global IP renewal solution, covering any country and jurisdiction. We currently renew patents, trademarks, utility models and designs in over 160 jurisdictions, ensuring seamless worldwide protection for our customers. If you have questions about a specific jurisdiction, feel free to reach out—we’re happy to assist!
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• How does the IP management software help reduce renewal costs?

One of our main cost advantages is direct IP renewal payments in most jurisdictions where local agents/attorneys are not required by the jurisdiction. Moreover, we use modern fintech solutions that allow us to minimize our transaction costs and exchange rate fluctuations.

Secondly, many of our competitors hide significant hidden fees under official fees using substantial currency exchange markups. At PatentRenewal.com, we always show you transparently which exchange rate we used for your IP renewals, and we never miscalculate any renewal-related fees.
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• What kind of companies is the IP management software suitable for?

We handle everything from single renewals to large, global IP portfolios, ensuring efficiency and flexibility at any level.

We already represent companies from all industries and sizes regardless of if they are IP owners, SMEs, enterprises or IP law firms, attorneys. Whether you’re managing IP renewals by yourself or with a large law firm, our platform is built to scale with your needs.
 

• How can I make sure you handle our data securely?

IP data is among the most valuable assets, that’s why we prioritize security with robust encryption and safe storage. We follow strict data handling and compliance protocols, backed by professional liability insurance in line with industry standards.

We store all your IP data on Europe-based GDPR-compliant Heroku servers with a high level of network security including firewalls, DDoS Mitigation, Spoofing, Sniffing Protections, Port Scanning and built-in data security features, backups and Disaster Recovery features.
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• What about all the other services I get from my current IP law firm?

Your existing service and relationship with your current law firm will remain unchanged. Renewals can be separated from other IP services, so regarding all other IP matters (like application, litigation, translation, IP strategy etc.) you would still consult with your IP law firm/patent attorney. 

We facilitate an effortless and quick transfer from your existing solution to PatentRenewal.com. We will handle the communication and transition in the smoothest way possible. If preferred, you can be involved in the transition process, you decide!

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Ready to simplify your patent renewals? ‍

Try the PatentRenewal.com IP management software today and never miss a deadline again. Check out how we can support your IP strategy with our patent renewal solution.

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