A deed of transfer is used to change the ownership of intellectual property, a common occurrence in business. Explore how and when to use one.
Find out more about intellectual property basics
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by Brette Sember, J.D.
Brette is a former attorney and has been a writer and editor for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 4...
Updated on: November 24, 2023 · 3 min read
Most companies have intellectual property as part of their assets, including software, product design, or copyright to white papers. Buying or selling such property is done using a document called a deed of assignment.
A large part of what a business consists of may be tied to intellectual property. It's easy to see physical property a company owns, such as a building, office furniture, or inventory, but intellectual property can be more challenging to identify.
Most businesses have intellectual property, or works created by human minds or, in some cases, by computers. Some examples of intellectual property include architectural drawings, ad campaigns, company or product names, inventions, and source code.
Examples of when transfers of intellectual property might happen include when a company is buying another company, when you are setting up an LLC and want to transfer your intellectual property into the company, or when a business buys product rights from another company or individual.
A deed of assignment can be done in one transaction, instead of one transaction for each item of intellectual property, by transferring all ownership rights of all intellectual property detailed in the deed. The document is signed by both the buyer and seller. No payment is required for it to be valid.
A deed of assignment must be in writing and should include:
The deed could also include the following sections, where applicable:
Although a deed of assignment transfers ownership in intellectual property, it does not change the registration of the ownership. The assignee is responsible for handling all registration requirements.
For example, if a patent is transferred via a deed of assignment, the new owner must record the change in ownership with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Similarly, the transfer of a copyright is recorded with the U.S. Copyright Office.
Transfers of intellectual property must comply with U.S. laws. One obvious caveat is that you can't transfer property you don't own. Transfers must also comply with antitrust laws, which are set up to prevent one company from completely dominating an industry.
If intellectual property rights are being transferred overseas, the transfer must comply with Export Administration Regulations and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, which are designed to protect national security and trade.
The deed of assignment can be a crucial part of a business deal or transaction. You can create a deed of assignment yourself, or you can work with an attorney.
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