IP Stars surveys now underway

What is IP Stars?

IP Stars is a specialist guide to the leading IP firms and practitioners worldwide. It is published annually (online and in print) by Managing Intellectual Property. The publication contains firm rankings and analyses, and a list of leading IP practitioners (“the IP Stars”) with additional data such as their industry focus and practice area. Here is some historical background: IP Stars Survey was formerly known as World IP Survey, and Managing IP published its first IP firm rankings in 1996.

Can you explain the research process?

In summary, researchers invite firms and practitioners to complete their respective questionnaires online. These are hosted on Survey Monkey. As we receive submissions, we start interviewing firms and contacting clients for feedback. Thereafter we conduct our own independent research before drawing up the rankings and IP Stars list. The research also feeds into Managing IP’s annual awards.

Why is it important for firms to participate?

The least we expect is for firms to complete the firm questionnaire. The firm questionnaire is where firms give us information about their IP practice - focusing on patent, trade mark and copyright - and IP work in the last 12 months. We use this information, together with other sources, for the firm rankings and analyses.

Regardless of whether a firm is now ranked or not, it is important to submit a firm questionnaire each year because from the submission we may find information which is not available elsewhere and might influence a firm’s ranking. If a firm is not yet ranked, then this is an opportunity for the firm to tell us why it should be included. Nonetheless, a firm can still be ranked even if it did not participate in the research.

What about the leading IP practitioners (“the IP Stars”) list?

The list originates from recommendations by peers and clients, and of course the researcher’s independent research. The IP Stars also complete a questionnaire which provides us with the details of their IP practice. The list is subject to change each year.

Is there a cost to participate in IP Stars research?

None at all.

Where can those who wish to participate find the links to the online questionnaires you mentioned above?

We host our questionnaires on Survey Monkey.

Firm survey

For firms based outside the USA, please click here

For firms based in the USA, please click here

Practitioner survey

For practitioners based outside the USA, please click here

For practitioners based in the USA, please click here

To help firms and practitioners prepare, we have made available the draft PDF versions of these questionnaires. Click here to view them. Please note that we do not accept submissions in PDF or Word format. Only submissions made through Survey Monkey will be accepted.

When are the submission deadlines?

For the firm questionnaire it is November 9 2015; the practitioner questionnaire is January 31 2016.

When will you publish the 2016 firm rankings and IP Stars list?

Initially, the rankings will be published in Managing IP magazine as follows: patent rankings in the February issue, trade mark rankings in the March issue, and copyright rankings in the April issue.

Thereafter, three handbooks - containing all the firm rankings and our analysis of these firms and a list of highly-recommended IP practitioners (“the IP Stars”) - will be published: April for the US edition of the patent, trade mark & copyright handbook and the Global edition of the trade mark & copyright handbook; and July for the Global edition of the patent handbook. The rankings, analyses and the IP Stars list will also be uploaded to our website ipstars.com.

Where can firms and practitioners find more information on IP Stars?

Please visit ipstars.com/general/about for more information on methodology, FAQs, research timelines and submission deadlines, among other things. If you still have further questions please contact us.

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