What does Trademark Enforcement coverage get me?
Trademark enforcement as part of your IP.Insure intellectual property insurance policy gets you the ability to go after people who ride on your branding coattails. This includes sending letters to infringers, Amazon/eBay/Etsy take down actions, DMCA take down notices, and appropriate lawsuits in state and/or federal court. Many times, small companies have a trademark on…
Read MoreDo I need a registered trademark for IP insurance?
Registered trademarks are far more powerful to enforce than unregistered trademarks, and we encourage you to register your trademarks whenever possible. The registration process guarantees that you have the full rights to your branding. In addition, the laws are very powerful for owners of registered trademarks to enforce their rights. Trademarks represent your investment in…
Read MoreHow would I know if I infringe someone else’s patent?
One way to know if you might infringe someone else’s patent is through a “Freedom to Operate” search, which is sometimes called a “clearance search” or “right to use search.” An FTO search is performed for each of your *products* (not your patents) and searches for existing patents that might be used to sue you.…
Read MoreDoes my General Liability Insurance cover intellectual property?
No. The standard forms for General Business Liability were changed in the late 1990’s to *remove* any coverage for intellectual property damages. This means that trademark infringement (where another company starts using your brand’s likeness) is not covered. This means that patent infringement (where another company copies your patented product) is not covered. This means…
Read MorePre-existing conditions
In the same way you cannot buy fire insurance while your house is burning, most insurers will not cover you for IP infringement that you know about – or should have known about. Underwriters will often do patent searches, litigation searches, and competitive analysis to uncover the risks of your IP – either the risk…
Read MoreWhat other services come with patent insurance?
Each patent insurance company has its own suite of services. In general, insurance companies want to minimize their risk exposure, so it makes sense for them to help you in many different ways. Some companies will – for free, as part of your enforcement policy – send letters to possible infringers. These letters are from…
Read MoreWhy use an independent broker?
An independent insurance broker does not work for any insurance company. We work for you. Our job is to negotiate a policy that fits your needs, not sell you a policy that benefits the insurance company. Each of the dozen or so providers for IP-related insurance has a particular interest. Some companies like semiconductor IP,…
Read MoreCan I purchase BlueIron’s insurance through my insurance agent?
Yes! BlueIron is a licensed insurance agent, and acts as an insurance wholesaler for many brokers and agents. Please have your insurance agent contact us. If you do not have an agent, you can purchase insurance directly through BlueIron. BlueIron does not provide any other insurance other than Intellectual Property related insurance.
Read MoreWho is the insurance carrier for patent insurance?
We offer IP-related insurance from over a dozen different insurance companies. One of the benefits of being an independent broker is that we can pick from many providers so you get the coverage that works best for you. For example in patent insurance, some carriers prefer troll-only insurance, while other carriers prefer competitor-only insurance without…
Read MoreCan I use my own attorneys under patent insurance?
Absolutely. We know you have good relationships with your attorneys, and we are happy that you want to use them. Our only requirement is that the attorneys have prior first-chair experience in intellectual property litigation in federal court. If your attorney does not have this experience, we are happy to recommend attorneys who do. We…
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