Business Collaboration Platform - for IP Service Providers
FAQ
Q. Why should this be of interest to IP professionals ?
Participating on the platform provides autonomy in client and business development while gaining ready access to greater resources and higher profitability.
It helps IP specialists attract and look after good quality clients - by making it simple and easy to collaborate, it provides flexibility, giving consultants confidence to attract and retain these clients and to handle peaks and troughs in workload
Q. What are main functions of the platform ?
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- Referral of clients
- Subcontract work on ad-hoc or an ongoing basis
- Appoint back up – specific client or case load
- Provision of project support on demand - for substantive or formalities work
- Work allocation - to consultants available for referrals or to receive subcontract work
- Provision of back office, including IP administration & formalities
- IP Business support, including quotations and proposals
Q. What type of IP specialists are involved ?
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Includes fully qualified IP attorneys as well as part-qualified and trainee attorneys able to contribute with suitable supervision.
Also appropriate for IP Managers, IP management consultant and IP licensing specialists
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Q. What are the contractual arrangements ?
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IP specialists sign a collaboration agreement to work as an individual consultant or a consultant firm to the platform.
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The consultant's own business structure remains unchanged and their direct contractual relationship with their client remains the same.
Any work handled on the platform is administered by the FIVE / ZERO Service Hub, including the provision of IP record-keeping and related ‘back office’ functions. The emphasis is on ensuring high quality and reliable administration of the work while minimising the administrative burden on the part of consultants in referring work.
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Q. What is involved in the collaboration agreement ?
It is a two part collaboration agreement:
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Part A : Commitment from the IP specialist to platform working as a consultant, including being listed for work and adhering to protocols for referring or sub-contracting work ; AND
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Part B : Commitment from FIVE ZERO IP to provide services required for platform and Service Hub functionality including IP administration & formalities.
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Q. What are the lines of responsibility ?
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The consultant with client responsibility has direct relationship with the the client through their own firm
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The platform has a subcontract relationship with that firm, providing support services in the background.
Client contact by FIVE / ZERO is limited to fielding any new client enquiries and directing these to a suitable consultant firm
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Q. What are the revenue sharing arrangements ?
A simple and reasonable split between the originating consultant, the case manager, the case worker and the platform operators
It has been structured to encourage collaboration and provide an additional incentive to allocate work to suitably qualified and experienced consultants
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Q. How do things work in practice
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The Service Hub has a secure online dashboard which provides consultants with access to range of platform functions and supporting information
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The online dashboard allows consultants to very simply locate suitable expertise & experience, ensure availability and to allocate and instruct work
Refer clients
Access suitable specialists available to accept new clients
Sub contract work
Access suitable specialists to support own client work in the same or other fields
Appoint back up
To field enquiries and deal with urgent matters during absences
IP back office
IP paralegal support, formalities & filing services on industry standard IP Management software
Support on demand
Access project-specific support, including attorneys, IP paralegal support & filing services
Receive work
Showcase and make available relevant expertise & experience to wider audience
Business support
Utilise preferred suppliers list ( if required ) with associated economies of scale
Access to IP cost information and overseas agent fee schedules
Assistance with IP proposals and marketing
Q. How does the back office operate ?
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The service hub operates in the same way as the formalities group of a large firm of patent and trade mark attorneys with file management and formalities, record-keeping and deadline management undertaken using EQUINOX IP Management software.
For any work handled on the platform FIVE / ZERO also provides the address for service for IP offices and correspondence with overseas agents.
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Q. How is client interaction managed ?
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Consultants are classified as Case Representative or Case Specialist and may both have direct client contact, although the client relationship responsibility rests with the Case Representative who also has overall responsibility for the work undertaken on behalf of the client.
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Q. With a dispersed service model how is quality managed ?
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The principals are very similar to those applied by large IP firms operating over a number of locations with staff working on a hybrid basis.
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The operation of the platform is underpinned by a quality management system - in essence this requires our consultants to adequately understand and scope out a client’s requirements; to ensure progress on the client’s work takes place; and that if there are problems, or the client requirements change at any point during the job, that there is a mechanism for managing these changes.
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In addition, the appropriate use of forms and templates ensures information is simply captured and communicated correctly
Key service providers
