
- Patent
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- IP Intelligence SoftwareStreamline the journey from innovation to IP with our IP intelligence software, patent search, data analytics, and related services and tools.→ Read moreOur solutionsPowerful patent searching and analysisArtificial intelligence for patent classificationGrant statistics and detailed legal status analysisSmall molecules searching and analysisDNA and amino acid searching and analysisExplore new markets and opportunitiesEasy patent searching and collaborationAnalysis from any scientific sourcesUnlock AI-powered use cases across a range of Questel software.SEP DatabaseNEWStandard Essential Patent Data & AnalyticsLatest resources
- → Smart Patent Research for True IP ProfessionalsThe value of a patent search hinges on two key factors: data quality and the intelli...
- → A Guide to Bio Sequence Patent SearchingBio sequence patent search is a unique type of life-science search requiring special...
- → The World’s Leading 5G SEP Owners – 2025Explore the 2025 rankings of the top 5G SEP owners in our latest report. Learn how g...
- → Smart Patent Research for True IP Professionals
- IP Management SoftwareKeep your assets up to date and aligned with your corporate strategy with our Equinox suite of IP management software, data analytics, and eBilling tools→ Read moreOur solutionsPowerful all-in-one IPMS for corporatesIPMS tailored for large corporates, built on SalesforcePowerful all-in-one IPMS for law firmsIPMS tailored for large Law FirmsCollaborative invention-to-filing workflowLatest resources
- → Equinox Corporate+ – Leveraging Salesforce for Large IP Portfolio OwnersIP management is evolving fast to keep up with a rapidly changing landscape. In this...
- → Transform How You Manage Your IP Portfolio with Equinox IP Management Software By integrating data, services, and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, modern...
- → A Goal to Boost Efficiency by 30%: Why Brandstock Chose Equinox Law Firm Driven by its goal to deliver the “best IP service to clients,” leading law firm Bra...
- → Equinox Corporate+ – Leveraging Salesforce for Large IP Portfolio Owners
- Preparation & Prosecution CopilotsOptimize your entire patent process with our range of advanced Preparation & Prosecution Copilots, from patent application drafting to prosecution workflow automation, claims mapping, and office action responses.→ Read moreOur solutionsAll-in-one patent prosecution workflow, data, and collaboration workspace.AI-DraftingNEWIndustry-leading patent drafting software powered by generative AI.Patent Mapping and Claim Analysis with AIPatent Office Action Response Management with AILeverage the power of data to guide your patent prosecution with Prosecution PackLatest resources
- → 5 Challenges for IP Professionals in the Next 5 Years—and How to Overcome ThemArtificial intelligence (AI) is a hot topic in the IP sector due to its potential to...
- → Pathways to Productivity: What our 2025 Industry Outlook Research Reveals About AI in IPDiscover what our 2025 Industry Outlook Research reveals about AI adoption by the IP...
- → 3 Cutting-Edge Solutions to Support Your R&D and Innovation Strategies Discover how the latest cutting-edge software and AI-elevated processes for research...
- → 5 Challenges for IP Professionals in the Next 5 Years—and How to Overcome Them
- Patent ServicesBenefit from end-to-end support for vital but time-consuming administrative tasks with our complete range of patent support services, including searches, translations, international filings, validations, unitary patent management, recordals, renewals, and more→ Read moreOur solutionsPatentability, Freedom-To-Operate, InvalidityPCT & national phase, Paris Convention, Unitary PatentUnitary Patent and Unified Patent Court servicesSimplified European validation servicesCentralized patent translation servicesFee and renewals managementAssignment and recordal of all IP RightsLatest resources
- → What You Need to Know About Maintaining Intellectual Property Records Maintaining intellectual property records can be complicated for in-house legal team...
- → Should You Outsource Intellectual Property Management Services? Whether you manage a small portfolio or multiple large ones, intellectual property m...
- → 4 Major Intellectual Property Issues in Mergers and Acquisitions Merger and acquisition (M&A) activities present many challenges to buyers and seller...
- → What You Need to Know About Maintaining Intellectual Property Records
- Patent Strategy & Administration→ Read more
Control costs, streamline invoices, and safeguard your patent rights efficiently with our patent strategy & administration services and tools
Our solutionsEnd-to-end IP admin, data verification and docketingInvoice review, bundling and paymentFee audits, negotiation, compliance, benchmarks and forecastingLandscaping, benchmarking, valuation and licensingDefensive PublicationBUY ONLINEPublish an invention into the public domainLatest resources- → 4 Good Reasons to Outsource Trademark DocketingTrademark docketing requires time, effort, and resources, placing a strain on many b...
- → Should You Outsource Intellectual Property Management Services? Whether you manage a small portfolio or multiple large ones, intellectual property m...
- → 3 Cutting-Edge Solutions to Support Your R&D and Innovation Strategies Discover how the latest cutting-edge software and AI-elevated processes for research...
- → 4 Good Reasons to Outsource Trademark Docketing
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- Clearance & Watch PlatformScreen and monitor your brand and trademark rights effectively with our trademark clearance search and trademark monitoring platform→ Read moreOur solutionsScreen trademarks with AI-driven search technologyMarkify Comprehensive SearchBUY ONLINEAI-driven trademark availability softwareBest-in-class trademark results paired with key pharmaceutical sourcesWatch for new, identical and confusingly similar trademarksMonitor marketplaces, social media, and web contentLatest resources
- → From Detection to Defense: A Powerful Duo that Tackles Trademark Proof of Use Could your or your competitors’ rights be vulnerable to revocation based on non-use ...
- → Artificial Intelligence and IP: What’s on the Horizon for AI and Trademarks? Discover what’s on the horizon for artificial intelligence and IP, including powerfu...
- → Crossing the Frontier with AI Trademark Search: Where Algorithms Intersect with Human Expertise From manual analysis to AI trademark search, discover how combining AI algorithms wi...
- → From Detection to Defense: A Powerful Duo that Tackles Trademark Proof of Use
- IP Management SoftwareManage and maintain your trademark, design and domain name rights effectively with our state-of-the-art trademark management software→ Read moreOur solutionsPowerful all-in-one IPMS for corporatesIPMS tailored for large corporates, built on SalesforcePowerful all-in-one IPMS for law firmsIPMS tailored for large law firmsCollaborative worklfow for trademark and design proposalsLatest resources
- → Equinox Corporate+ – Leveraging Salesforce for Large IP Portfolio OwnersIP management is evolving fast to keep up with a rapidly changing landscape. In this...
- → 4 Good Reasons to Outsource Trademark DocketingTrademark docketing requires time, effort, and resources, placing a strain on many b...
- → Transform How You Manage Your IP Portfolio with Equinox IP Management Software By integrating data, services, and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, modern...
- → Equinox Corporate+ – Leveraging Salesforce for Large IP Portfolio Owners
- AI Assistants for Trademark ProductivityReview trademark search and watch results, create first drafts of goods and services descriptions, classify evidence of use, and manage office action responses effectively with our AI assistants for trademark productivity.→ Read moreOur solutionsAll-in-one digital trademark workflow automationChat with trademark search or watch results to review findings and assess riskSave time and build consistency and compliance with our AI solutionAnalyze content and draft answers with AIManage trademark evidence of use with AILatest resources
- → 5 Challenges for IP Professionals in the Next 5 Years—and How to Overcome ThemArtificial intelligence (AI) is a hot topic in the IP sector due to its potential to...
- → From Detection to Defense: A Powerful Duo that Tackles Trademark Proof of Use Could your or your competitors’ rights be vulnerable to revocation based on non-use ...
- → Experience AI Copilots in Action: The All-in-One IP Solution That Supercharges Patent & Trademark ProductivityTo stay innovative when developing new products and processes in a fast paced enviro...
- → 5 Challenges for IP Professionals in the Next 5 Years—and How to Overcome Them
- Trademark, Design & Domain Services→ Read more
Access expert support throughout the complete brand lifecycle with our integrated domain name, design, and trademark solutions
Our solutionsAnalyst-driven searches with on-demand and customizable reportingIP asset monitoring with intelligent pre-selectionCase management and take-down servicesInternational registration process supportTrademark and design renewal servicesEffective management of corporate domain namesAssignment and recordal of all IP rightsEnd-to-end IP admin, data verification, docketingLatest resources- → Why Do Companies Outsource IP Tasks? Because They Want to Reach Their KPIs! While normally associated with internal metrics, key performance indicators (KPIs) c...
- → What You Need to Know About Maintaining Intellectual Property Records Maintaining intellectual property records can be complicated for in-house legal team...
- → Trademark and Brand Protection Hot Topics: a discussion about trends and news from IACC & INTAOur teams attended INTA and IACC, key events in the intellectual property world. The...
- → Why Do Companies Outsource IP Tasks? Because They Want to Reach Their KPIs!
- Innovation
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- Innovation Management SoftwareMake your innovation management processes faster, efficient and scalable with our end-to-end innosabi innovation management platform.→ Read moreOur solutionsBusiness-oriented dashboards for innovatorsStartup deal flow and program managementCollaborative idea and innovation managementCustomers co-creation and communitiesPartners co-innovation and open callsInnovation Project ManagementUnlock AI-powered use cases across a range of Questel software.Latest resources
- → 5 Reasons to Invest in Innovation Management SoftwareTranslating innovative ideas into successful products is becoming increasingly compl...
- → 9 Ways to Build a Successful Innovation Culture To embed innovation fully into their organizations, companies are often told they ne...
- → 3 Cutting-Edge Solutions to Support Your R&D and Innovation Strategies Discover how the latest cutting-edge software and AI-elevated processes for research...
- → 5 Reasons to Invest in Innovation Management Software
- Innovation ServicesSuccessful innovation processes and culture are about more than the right software tools. Our innovation services leverage proven methods and approaches to generate insights, ideas, and solutions.→ Read moreOur solutionsMarket screening, Competitive intelligence and Technology scoutingConnect with partners, improve or localize your innovation processProducts and services namingSeamless user experience to a global audienceEngage with new audience globallyLatest resources
- → 7 Key Questions to Measure Innovation Management Success Innovation is the key to staying competitive in today’s fast-paced business world. H...
- → Software Patent: How Can It Be Done?Even though life without computers is today nearly impossible to imagine, patent-bas...
- → What is Innovation Scouting?Change is a constant. New technologies surface regularly and change existing product...
- → 7 Key Questions to Measure Innovation Management Success
- SolutionsAI
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- Artificial Intelligence in IP→ Read more
Discover Questel’s holistic and responsible approach to artificial intelligence
and intellectual property and our vision to inspire the future of IP with AIOur solutionsDiscover how AI is transforming IPIndustry-leading patent drafting software powered by generative AIAI copilots for optimized patent preparation and prosecution workflowsAI copilot for automated patent classificationAI copilot for elevated trademark clearance searchUnlock AI-powered use cases across a range of Questel software.Proof of UseNewCapture Trademark Evidence of Use with AILatest resources- → The Future of IP Departments: Are We Headed Toward a World of Only Chatbots and AI?In this on-demand session, industry leaders from Questel and Better Ipsum discuss ho...
- → Pathways to Productivity: What our 2025 Industry Outlook Research Reveals About AI in IPDiscover what our 2025 Industry Outlook Research reveals about AI adoption by the IP...
- → Leverage Artificial Intelligence to Simplify Your Prosecution WorkUnlock exclusive insights and discover how Qthena, the AI-powered prosecution assist...
- → The Future of IP Departments: Are We Headed Toward a World of Only Chatbots and AI?
- Integrated IP Ecosystem→ Read more
Optimize your intellectual property assets with our comprehensive IP portfolio management solutions,
ensuring maximum protection and strategic advantage for your business.Our solutionsIP management systems, docketing, forecasting, data analytics, blockchain, and eBilling toolsOur web-based platform for IP services managementPAVIS Connect, our solution for companies and laws firms that already have an IP management systemAccess trademark watches directly from Equinox with Markify Watch integrationLatest resources- → Switching to a New IPMS: What Does the Data Migration Process Involve?When you’re considering switching to a new IP management system (IPMS), you’ll likel...
- → When Is the Right Time to Upgrade Your IP Management Software?When you are overloaded by IP administrative tasks and deadlines, switching to a new...
- → The Power of IPMS Technology for IP Lifecycle Management By choosing an end-to-end integrated IP management system (IPMS), you can build effi...
- → Switching to a New IPMS: What Does the Data Migration Process Involve?
- Solutions for Law FirmsStreamline internal processes, satisfy client demand, and remain competitive with our specialist solutions for law firms→ Read moreOur solutionsAll-in-one patent prosecution workflow, data, and collaboration workspace.Patent Office Action Response Management with AIIndustry-leading patent drafting software powered by generative AIPowerful all-in-one IPMS for law firmsPowerful patent searching and analysisScreen and monitor your trademark rights effectively with our Markify platformStreamline multilingual matters with fast and reliable legal translation servicesCentralized patent translation servicesFee and renewals managementTrademark and design renewal servicesLatest resources
- → How Equinox Law Firm Supports Redchip Lawyers to Save Time and Build RelationshipsFor law firms with large, multi-disciplinary practices, an IP management system (IPM...
- → Can Your IPMS Help Build Strong Client Relationships?Cultivating strong client relationships is incredibly important for IP law firms. Yo...
- → Leverage Artificial Intelligence to Simplify Your Prosecution WorkUnlock exclusive insights and discover how Qthena, the AI-powered prosecution assist...
- → How Equinox Law Firm Supports Redchip Lawyers to Save Time and Build Relationships
- Solutions for Life Sciences→ Read more
Intellectual property management tools, services, and insights to support life sciences innovation strategies
Our solutionsDNA and amino acid searching and analysisSmall molecules searching and analysisExplore new markets and opportunitiesBest-in-class trademark results paired with key pharmaceutical sourcesPowerful all-in-one IPMS for corporatesTranslation solutions across the product lifecycle—from patent to post-marketCentralized patent translation servicesFee and renewals managementTrademark and design renewal servicesLSPN North America Awards recognize QuestelLatest resources- → Patent Data Analytics, It’s Not Just for Patent SearchingThere are many reasons why organizations may conduct patent searching exercises and—...
- → Harnessing the Power of Patent AnalyticsPatent analytics can reveal new application areas, diversification opportunities, an...
- → The Technology Landscape of Precision Medicine: An IP AnalysisTechnological developments in gene sequencing, imagery, and data analysis are enabli...
- → Patent Data Analytics, It’s Not Just for Patent Searching
- Solutions for R&D and Innovation→ Read more
Strengthen, structure, and maximize your R&D and innovation strategy, workflows, and internal processes by harnessing the latest tools and technologies, including through smart application of generative AI.
Our solutionsCreate more efficient and scalable innovation management processesCollaborative invention-to-filing workflowCollaborative worklfow for trademark and design proposalsMarket screening, competitive intelligence, and technology scoutingStreamline your research and development workflows with AILatest resources- → 3 Cutting-Edge Solutions to Support Your R&D and Innovation Strategies Discover how the latest cutting-edge software and AI-elevated processes for research...
- → 7 Key Questions to Measure Innovation Management Success Innovation is the key to staying competitive in today’s fast-paced business world. H...
- → AI Patents: What Patent Mapping Can Tell Us About Future AI Technologies Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving all the time thanks to the growing quantiti...
- → 3 Cutting-Edge Solutions to Support Your R&D and Innovation Strategies
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Translation, interpretation and tech-enabled localization services and language solutions that help global organizations open up new markets, overcome regulatory hurdles and connect with audiences worldwide.
Our solutionsStreamline multilingual matters with fast and reliable legal translation servicesTranslation solutions across the product lifecycle—from patent to post-marketManage operations, ensure compliance, and maintain consistent messaging worldwideLatest resources- → Employing A "Winning Strategy" For Your International MattersYear after year, in-house legal teams and outside counsel handling international and...
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- → The difference between a legal interpreter and a legal translatorAttorneys, courts and case law often conflate the need for legal translators or lega...
- → Employing A "Winning Strategy" For Your International Matters
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- Webinars & EventsAre you interested in attending one of our online or onsite event?
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- Best-in-class Customer ExperienceOur goal is to exceed our clients' expectations and share best practices
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How Outsourcing IP Support Can Enhance and Improve IP Administration Processes
In busy IP teams, paralegals face a never-ending cycle of docketing data, preparation of formal documents, correspondence with stakeholders, and deadline management. Partnering with an IP administration specialist can provide the extra level of support they need to succeed.
While many companies and law firms already rely on external providers for business processes, such as customer services, human resources, IT, and document management, outsourcing IP support and administrative functions is still a relatively new concept for many IP leaders.
However, once IP departments and law firms begin to outsource IP administrative services, they quickly realize the benefits, emphasized Stacy Fredrich, IP Director at Rheem Manufacturing Company, in our recent webinar on ‘Navigating Post-COVID Challenges: Streamlining In-House Processes for Enhanced Efficiency and Collaboration’. As she shared during the session with Thelma Acheriel, Director of IP Administration at Questel, IP administrative outsourcing can provide a vital layer of support for stretched IP departments by providing a dedicated resource who can work seamlessly as an extension of the internal team.
That dedicated resource may manage specific IP maintenance tasks as a full-time equivalent (FTE), as with Rheem Manufacturing Company, or provide IP support services for urgent one-off matters. For example, many organizations use Questel’s IP Administrative Support Services to provide ad-hoc assistance for large or unexpected projects, such as data transfer, data validation, or file creation projects, or to help fill gaps in their team.
Here, we discuss six benefits of working with an external administrative IP support specialist, such as Questel, and four ways to optimize the arrangement.
Six Benefits of Partnering with an IP Support Specialist
- 1. A Reliable and Necessary Safety Net
Paralegals can face a continuous influx of emails, documents, and docketing responsibilities, and those tasks and deadlines must be managed effectively, irrespective of sickness, staff shortages, or another unavoidable emergency. Working with an external administrative IP support specialist provides an important safety net, while also freeing up internal resources to concentrate on other vital tasks, such as onboarding, training, and overseeing new recruits.
- 2. Flexible and Adaptable End-to-End Assistance
When companies think about IP support services, they might only consider tasks, such as proofreading, IP docket management, or document preparation. However, Questel adopts a consultative approach for our clients to design a solution that meets their exact requirements. This can cover everything from invoice management, compliance checks, and invention disclosure submission process management to providing a dedicated resource to manage annuity reviews, inventor award programs, document signatories, or internal reporting.

- 3. An Extra Pair of Hands
When your email inbox is constantly inundated with inquiries from clients or different business units, it’s helpful to have someone you can trust to keep day-to-day tasks moving and clear the backlogs that inevitably build up over time. Likewise, when a last-minute, urgent task lands on your desk or a team member becomes suddenly unavailable, working with an external partner can ease the pressure and responsibility of managing unexpected workloads.
- 4. Process Standardization & Industry Best Practices
Few busy IP teams have the time and space to implement strategies to document or standardize processes, even ones they believe to be necessary. By adding a dedicated external resource to your team, you can capture your preferred processes and standard operating procedures into a “playbook” or training manual, as well as review and update them to reflect industry best practices while eliminating the need for disruptive changes to your day-to-day workflows.
- 5. A Trusted Member of Your Team
Our IP paralegals can work directly in our clients’ systems, so that everything stays in their internal ecosystem, facilitating collaboration and version control while ensuring confidentiality and data security. While they are employed by Questel, their instructions and responsibilities will be defined by you. Depending on the location of your preferred resource, they may operate in a different time zone. However, many clients prefer this arrangement as it enables work to be completed out of hours.
- 6. Transparent and Cost-Effective
Return on investment is critical to every outsourcing project, which is why Questel delivers full transparency at every stage. Even where a client has been assigned an FTE and assumes full responsibility for task allocation, we deliver weekly work summaries that capture every IP support project undertaken and completed, including the amount of time spent on each phase. This provides clients with an important overview of current and upcoming projects, as well as enabling them to check timings against their expectations and priorities.
End-to-End Lifecycle IP Support—Patents
Alongside our docketing services, Questel assists clients with a wide range of pre-filing, filing, prosecution, grant, renewals/annuities, and ad-hoc tasks. The only type of work that we do not provide is substantive in nature, although we can always refer you to an expert in our network of foreign agents to deliver legal opinions and advice.

4 Ways to Optimize Administrative IP Support Outsourcing
- 1. Set Up Regular Updates
We work closely with clients to onboard, assist, and optimize their outsourced IP resources, including scheduling regular feedback and reporting sessions alongside day-to-day task-driven interactions. We find these scheduled catch-up sessions help us and our clients to plan upcoming projects effectively while ensuring existing processes continue to run smoothly. Depending on your preferences, it can make sense to schedule these types of short updates every two weeks.
- 2. Work With a Provider That Matches Your Technology Needs
Naturally, if you have already invested in an IP management system (IPMS) or use your external counsel to manage your docket, you will not want to invest in a completely new tool as part of your IP administrative outsourcing arrangement. By choosing a system-agnostic partner, such as Questel, with experience on your preferred IPMS, you can choose to provide secure remote access to your existing tool.
Where this isn’t possible, we also work with clients via remote desktops/virtual private networks (VPNs) and dedicated Questel or common mailboxes that route (or copy) all communication and correspondence to our teams. Some clients prefer to provide their FTE with a company-controlled laptop (once onboarded) while others use the outsourcing arrangement as an opportunity to migrate to one of Questel’s Equinox IP management software systems.
- 3. Choose Your Team As You Recruit Your Employees
It is important to meet your team before onboarding but especially so if you are working with a specific individual as your FTE. While the arrangement may be with a third-party provider, you need to build a relationship with your dedicated resource just as with any employee. As importantly, they also need to comply with your recruitment policies and HR requirements, which is why Questel also undertakes background checks according to individual client policies.
- 4. Select an IP Specialist That Provides Integrated Support
One of the key benefits of working with Questel is that we deliver a wide range of IP support services and have a large team of subject matter experts working from our centers of excellence around the globe. This means that our IP administrative specialists have access to a wide bank of knowledge to help answer questions promptly and seamlessly, whether they be related to new filing protocols, formalities, or even the establishment of completely new rights, as with the launch of the unitary patent system and UPC opt-out process in 2023.
Find out more about our IP Administrative Support Services or schedule an introductory call by contacting our IP Support Specialists today.