Start-Alliance LLC. provides intellectual property valuation services in Moscow and other Russian regions.

In modern economy, with an increasing introduction of new technology and knowledge products, intellectual property (IP) and intangible assets (IA) have arguably become one of the most important elements of a company’s assets. There are many cases when the value of the company’s intangibles exceeds the total value of its tangible assets and represents the primary competitive resource of the company. This is especially true for the companies having sustainable business reputation in the market, owning popular brands or operating on the market for knowledge products.

The Russian Civil Code, Art. 138, contains the following definition of IP: "The exclusive right of any individual or legal entity to intellectual property and equivalent means of individualization of a legal entity, product, works or services (trade name, trade mark, service mark, etc.) shall be recognized in the cases and following the procedure established by this Civil Code and other laws. The intellectual products and means of individualization subject to exclusive rights may not be used by any third parties without consent of the owner of such rights”.

We provide intellectual property valuation services in three major areas:

• industrial property - patents for inventions, selection patents, design patents, trade mark certificates, service mark certificates;
• copyright and associated rights to works of science, literature, music, painting and other arts, computer software, databases and microcircuit design;
• information representing trade secret – known-how, i.e. technical, financial, administrative or management knowledge which is generating or may potentially generate profit or other benefits, research and development products, project, design and technological documentation which is not covered by patents.

Considering a high diversity of possible IP items and specific use of each IP item in the manufacturing and marketing processes, the list of documents and information required for valuation and approximate time of completion of the valuation assignment for each category of IP are provided in separate sections:

Patents
Trademarks & goodwill
Copyright and related rights
Know-how, R&D products

Most often, the need for valuation of intellectual property and intangible assets arises when these assets are contributed to the company’s charter fund, for consummation of buy-sell transactions or IP license agreements, for determining license fees (royalties) and making adjustments to the book value of fixed assets in accounting records. Depending on the purpose of valuation, the valuer may calculate one or the other type of value for the subject property: the market value – the most probable price of the property if sold in the open market; or reproduction value – the cost of reproducing the asset at market prices.