Patent and trademark docketing is the operational backbone of intellectual property prosecution. It involves the systematic identification, recording, monitoring, and execution of procedural deadlines arising across the lifecycle of an IP application or registration.

At IIPRD, docketing is treated as a controlled operational function, not a clerical task, designed to preserve enforceability, prevent deadline failures, and support attorneys and portfolio owners with reliable procedural execution.

IIPRD’s docketing services cover procedural tracking and deadline management across:

• patent, trademark, and design filings
• national, regional, and international prosecution routes
• pre-filing, post-filing, and post-grant stages

Docketing activities are aligned with applicable statutes, treaty obligations, and jurisdiction-specific procedural rules.

Docketing support typically includes tracking and administration of:

• filing deadlines and statutory response periods
• priority claims, continuations, divisionals, and national phase entries
• examination reports, office actions, and prosecution milestones
• renewal and maintenance fee timelines
• extension, restoration, and recordal deadlines
• post-grant compliance and lifecycle events

All deadlines are tracked as actionable obligations, not passive calendar entries.

Docketing at IIPRD follows a structured, verification-driven workflow:

• Identification of Deadlines: Procedural triggers are identified from filings, official communications, statutory timelines, and prosecution events.
• Recording and Validation: Deadlines are recorded into controlled docketing systems with jurisdiction-specific rules applied. Priority relationships and dependency chains are mapped to prevent cascading errors.
• Independent Verification: Critical deadlines, particularly renewals and time-bound prosecution actions, are independently reviewed by paralegal teams to reduce reliance on single-point inputs.
• Monitoring and Escalation: Deadlines are actively monitored, with alerts and escalation protocols aligned to the urgency and risk profile of each action.
• Execution Support: Filing instructions, document preparation coordination, and procedural submissions are managed in collaboration with attorneys and external counsel where required.

This layered approach ensures procedural reliability across complex and multi-jurisdictional portfolios.

IIPRD supports docketing for portfolios spanning multiple jurisdictions, accounting for differences in:

• statutory timelines
• fee structures
• procedural formalities
• post-grant obligations

Docketing workflows are calibrated to accommodate jurisdiction-specific nuances while maintaining consistent internal controls.

Effective docketing reduces risk by:

• preventing loss of rights due to missed deadlines
• ensuring continuity across attorney or personnel changes
• enabling audit-ready documentation
• supporting enforcement and transaction readiness

Many IP losses arise from procedural lapses rather than weak substantive rights. Docketing directly addresses this risk layer.

Docketing services operate in close coordination with prosecution and advisory teams but remain procedurally independent.

This separation ensures:

• objective deadline tracking
• disciplined execution
• reduced cognitive and operational overload on attorneys

Docketing supports legal strategy; it does not replace it.

Docketing support is typically engaged by:

• in-house IP teams
• patent and trademark attorneys
• corporates with growing or distributed portfolios
• organisations managing filings across multiple jurisdictions
• entities preparing for diligence, audits, or transactions

Services may be provided as standalone docketing support or as part of broader paralegal and portfolio administration engagements.

To discuss patent, trademark or designs docketing support tailored to your portfolio, please contact us at [email protected].