The most successful IP portfolio management strategies are those aligned with broader business goals. As global economic shifts challenge traditional business strategies, IP professionals are uniquely positioned to lead the way in protecting company assets.
Below are six key areas to evaluate when reviewing your current IP portfolio and ensuring comprehensive global protection:
Manufacturing Trends:
Manufacturing continues to shift away from China toward other Asian nations. Emerging jurisdictions of importance include Japan, Vietnam, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. Outside of Asia, countries like Turkey, Morocco, the United Kingdom, and Germany are also becoming more relevant to IP strategy.
Action: Conduct a thorough portfolio audit to ensure your patents and trademarks are protected in these key jurisdictions.
Supply Chain Realignment:
As manufacturing locations change, supply chains are reorganizing. These shifts can impact trade routes and port activity. Monitor where your goods move—through countries like Singapore, South Korea, the UAE, and Malaysia—and ensure your IP assets are protected along these routes. Consider the impact of geopolitical tensions and climate-related disruptions, and work closely with your Supply Chain/Logistics teams to identify and prepare for alternative trade paths.
Action: Include logistics experts in your IP strategy planning to ensure proactive coverage along current and potential future supply chain routes.
Competitive Landscape:
Now is the time to evaluate your competitive IP positioning. Are your patents and trademarks covering the same jurisdictions as your competitors? Are there protection gaps where their portfolios—or yours—lack coverage?
Action: Perform a gap analysis to ensure critical revenue streams are safeguarded and competitor activity is adequately countered.
Customs Recordals:
Economic uncertainty often fuels counterfeiting. Customs Recordals are a key deterrent. Make sure your trademarks are recorded with customs authorities at all relevant ports, especially those tied to current and future supply chain routes.
Action: Collaborate with your Logistics team to align IP protection efforts with evolving shipping strategies.
Licensing and Partnerships:
Reassess all license agreements, especially those involving countries with high tariffs. Explore partnerships and collaborations that mitigate tariff exposure and support global expansion.
Action: Factor tariff-related risks into both existing licenses and future collaborations.
Contractual IP Protections:
With new manufacturing partners in unfamiliar jurisdictions, it’s vital to protect your proprietary models, molds, and methods through airtight contracts.
Action: Ensure manufacturing agreements include robust IP protection clauses tailored to new production locations.
How MaxVal Can Help
MaxVal offers a comprehensive suite of IP lifecycle management solutions that help companies future-proof their portfolios. From global patent and trademark docketing to competitive intelligence, IDS management, customs recordals, and contract analysis support, MaxVal enables IP teams to proactively align their strategies with changing business conditions. Our Symphony IP management platform integrates portfolio data, workflow automation, and advanced AI-enabled analytics—empowering teams to make faster, smarter decisions across jurisdictions. Whether you’re expanding into new markets, navigating supply chain shifts, or enhancing licensing protections, MaxVal delivers the tools and expertise to keep your IP strategy aligned, agile, and ready for what’s next.
