Ireland maintains separate official registers for patents, trade marks, and industrial designs. Each register records the current rights holder, filing and registration dates, and the legal status of each entry. Control over an IP asset — who holds it, whether it has been assigned, and whether it is in force — is readable from these records. The extract establishes the position at the date of retrieval. It does not establish what happened between filings, and it does not show unregistered rights.
What the registers showCurrent registered owner, filing date, registration date, and status (in force / lapsed / expired) for each IP right. Source: Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI) · verified 2026-09-15 Registers coveredPatents Register, Trade Marks Register, Designs Register. Source: IPOI · verified 2026-09-15 Access conditionThe registers are publicly searchable online without registration. Certified extracts require a formal request to IPOI. Source: IPOI · verified 2026-09-15 What the registers do not showUnregistered trade marks, unpublished patent applications within the 18-month confidentiality window, and contractual licences not recorded against the register entry.This register is public and free of charge. What you are paying for is the removed path: registration, national identifier, language, electronic signature, declaration of legitimate interest.
Who controls the IP right and what the register records
Control over a registered IP asset in Ireland is determined by the entry in the relevant IPOI register. The registered proprietor is the person or entity entitled to enforce the right. An assignment transfers that control; the transfer takes effect against third parties only when recorded.
The extract identifies:
- the current registered proprietor by name and address
- any recorded assignments, with dates
- any recorded licences (exclusive licences may be entered against the register)
- the renewal status and next renewal date, where applicable
A right that has lapsed for non-renewal remains on the register with a lapsed status. It is not removed. The extract therefore distinguishes between an active right and one that has fallen away.
Source: Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI) · extracted 2026-09-15
What a shareholder can enforce through the IP register
The register is a title document. A shareholder in a company that holds registered IP can verify, from the extract, whether the company is in fact the registered proprietor. If the company has assigned the right to a related party without recording the transaction, the register will still show the old proprietor — the discrepancy is itself a finding.
The extract does not determine whether the right is commercially valuable. It does not show whether a licence agreement is in breach. It does not show litigation over the right unless a court order has been recorded against the entry.
What the extract establishes is the formal control position: who the register says owns the right, and whether that ownership is unencumbered by recorded third-party interests.
Source: Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI) · extracted 2026-09-15
Filing dates, priority, and the 18-month window
A patent application is not published until 18 months after the priority date. During that period, the application exists in the system but is not visible on the public register. An extract retrieved before publication will not show a pending application.
This is not a gap in the extract — it is a structural feature of patent law. The extract states what the register shows at the date of retrieval. The limit is named, not concealed.
Trade mark applications are published in the Irish Patents Office Journal. The extract covers the period from filing through to registration or refusal. An opposed application will show the opposition status.
Design registrations are published on filing. There is no confidentiality window for designs.
Source: Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI) · extracted 2026-09-15
The limit of what the sources allow
The IPOI registers record registered rights only. The following are outside the scope of any extract from these registers:
- Unregistered trade marks. Ireland recognises passing-off protection for unregistered marks. No register captures these rights. Their existence and scope require a separate analysis of use in trade.
- Pending applications within the 18-month window. A patent application filed within the last 18 months will not appear on the public register. The extract cannot confirm or deny its existence.
- Contractual licences not recorded against the register. A licensee may have exclusive rights under a private agreement. If that agreement has not been entered against the register, the extract will not show it.
- EU trade marks and European patents. Rights registered at EUIPO or granted by the EPO with Irish designation are not held on the IPOI register. A full IP position requires cross-referencing EUIPO and the European Patent Register separately.
- Ownership through corporate structure. The register shows the registered proprietor. If that proprietor is a holding company, the extract does not trace the ultimate beneficial owner of the holding company.
The extract states the registered position. It does not state the full commercial IP position. The difference between the two is named before any instruction is placed.
Where the sources disagree
Two situations produce a discrepancy worth noting.
First: a company's own IP schedule (disclosed in due diligence) may list rights that do not appear on the IPOI register. This can mean the rights are unregistered, that they are registered in another jurisdiction only, or that the schedule is inaccurate. The extract resolves the question for Irish registered rights; it does not resolve it for the others.
Second: the registered proprietor on the IPOI register may differ from the entity described as the IP owner in a company's financial statements. An assignment may have been completed commercially but not yet recorded at IPOI. The gap between commercial completion and registration is a risk period. The extract identifies whether the gap exists.
Scope and fixed price
| Tier | Price | What is included | What is NOT included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signal | €440 | Search across Patents, Trade Marks, and Designs registers for a named entity; status and ownership extract for each active right found; written summary of findings | Certified copies of individual register entries; EU trade mark and European patent cross-check; analysis of unregistered rights; licence agreement review |
| Standard | €890 | Everything in Signal; certified extracts for up to five rights; cross-check against EUIPO and European Patent Register for the same entity; identification of recorded assignments and licences; timeline of ownership changes | Analysis of contractual licences not on the register; legal opinion on validity or enforceability; litigation history beyond recorded court orders |
| Extended | €1800 | Everything in Standard; full assignment chain for each right from first filing; cross-check against WIPO Madrid System for trade marks; identification of gaps between register position and disclosed IP schedules; written analysis of discrepancies found | Unregistered rights analysis; freedom-to-operate opinion; valuation; any work requiring legal qualification of findings |
FAQ
What is the difference between a search and a certified extract? A search returns the current data held on the register. A certified extract is an official document issued by IPOI confirming the register entry at a specific date. Certified extracts carry evidentiary weight in proceedings. The Signal tier delivers a search-based summary; the Standard and Extended tiers include certified extracts.
Does the extract cover EU trade marks registered at EUIPO? No. EUIPO maintains its own register separately from IPOI. An EU trade mark is valid in Ireland but is not held on the Irish register. The Standard and Extended tiers include a cross-check against EUIPO for the same entity.
How long does retrieval take? The public register is searchable immediately. Certified extracts from IPOI are issued within a period set by the Office's current processing schedule. The timeline for each instruction is confirmed at the point of engagement.
Can the extract show whether an IP right has been used as security? A charge over IP registered by a company in Ireland must be filed at the Companies Registration Office (CRO) under the Companies Act 2014. The IPOI register does not record security interests. A full picture requires a parallel CRO search.
What if the entity holds rights under a different name? IP rights may be registered in a trading name, a former company name, or a name variant. The search covers the name as provided. If there is reason to believe the entity trades under other names, those should be included in the instruction.
Sources: - Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI) — https://www.ipoi.gov.ie — extracted 2026-09-15 - European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) — https://euipo.europa.eu — extracted 2026-09-15 - European Patent Register (EPO) — https://www.epo.org/en/searching-for-patents/technical/ep-bulletin — extracted 2026-09-15 - WIPO Madrid System — https://www.wipo.int/madrid/en/ — extracted 2026-09-15
Request this report
Disclaimer: This report is a factual compilation from official registers and public sources. It is provided for informational purposes only, does not constitute legal advice, and contains no legal qualification of the facts established. VLO Law Firm assumes no liability for actions taken or not taken based on this material. For advice regarding your particular situation, please contact info@vlolawfirm.com.
Author: James Whitfield — Partner, UK & Common Law, VLO Law Firm
