IP, Licensing & Brand Protection
Trademark research, copyright filing, music licensing, and rights clearance. We make sure nothing you ship turns into a legal headache six months later.
The cheap mistake everyone makes is shipping a brand or a product without doing the IP work first. Then someone else has the trademark, or your stock music is uncleared, or your image rights aren't actually in your name. We handle the work that prevents the lawsuit instead of paying for it.
Deliverables
- Trademark search across Canadian and US registries before you commit to a name
- Trademark filing in Canada (CIPO) and the US (USPTO) for the relevant classes
- Copyright registration for written work, music, art, software, and other original work
- Music licensing review (sync, mechanical, performance) so your ad music is actually cleared
- Image rights clearance for stock and commissioned photography
- A short summary document explaining what's covered, what isn't, and what to do if someone tries to use your mark
Process
- 01
Audit
Look at what you're already using and what's actually protected versus what isn't.
- 02
Search
Trademark and prior-art search in the relevant jurisdictions.
- 03
File
Trademark and copyright filings prepared and submitted.
- 04
Document
Written summary of what's protected, what's pending, and what to monitor going forward.
Stack & Tools
- CIPO (Canadian Intellectual Property Office)
- USPTO (US Patent and Trademark Office)
- WIPO
- Trademarkia
- TrademarkVision
- Songtrust
- Harry Fox Agency
Common questions
Are you lawyers?+
We're not lawyers and this isn't legal advice. We handle the research, filings, and documentation work, and we partner with trademark agents and lawyers when a filing needs official representation. The pricing reflects that.
What does a trademark filing cost?+
A single-class trademark filing in Canada is in the $400 to $800 government fee range plus our engagement fee, which usually lands around $1.5K to $3K depending on the scope. US filings cost more in government fees.
How long does a trademark take to issue?+
Canada is currently around 18 to 24 months from filing to registration. The US is similar. Filed marks are protected from the filing date, so you don't have to wait for registration to start using the ™ symbol.
Do you handle disputes?+
If someone challenges your mark or you need to oppose a confusingly similar one, we refer to a trademark lawyer we work with regularly. We can manage the engagement on your behalf.
What people search for
- trademark filing Canada
- trademark filing US
- CIPO trademark search
- USPTO trademark search
- copyright registration
- music licensing
- sync licensing review
- image rights clearance
- brand protection
- logo trademark
- small business trademark
- startup IP
- Toronto trademark agency
- Canadian trademark filing
- music rights clearance
- stock photography licensing
- IP audit
- rights clearance for ads
Ready to talk about your ip, licensing & brand protection project?
Send us a short note. We respond within 24 hours and we'll tell you honestly whether this is the right engagement for what you're trying to do.