Smarter IP for software founders: what to file, what to skip
Software founders waste more money on the wrong IP filings than on almost any other early-stage cost. The right sequence — trademark first, design rights next, patents almost never — protects what's actually defensible.
Trademark your product name and logo first. UK series trademark costs around £170 for one class, grants in ~4 months. It's the single highest-leverage IP spend at pre-seed.
Software patents are rarely worth it at seed stage. They cost £5–15k+ per jurisdiction, take 3–5 years to grant, and are hard to enforce against a well-resourced competitor.
What you actually need: every contract — co-founder, employee, contractor, agency — must contain a clear IP-assignment clause. Without it, an ex-contributor can claim joint ownership of your codebase.
Design rights protect distinctive UI elements at a fraction of patent cost. Worth filing for anything visually distinctive in your product.
“I've seen more software founders lose IP to a missing contractor clause than to a competitor's patent.”
Sources
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