Frequently asked questions

Sun IP provides comprehensive solutions that cover: foreign patent filings for Direct Filing, PCT National Phase Entries, EP Validations, and Unitary Patents; translations for Foreign Patent Prosecution, Office Actions, Prior Art, Litigation, and Non-IP Legal Documents; a renewal payment service for Patents, Trademarks, Designs, Utility models, and SPCs; and recordals for standalone projects or in relation to renewals. Sun IP also provides clients with a free-to-use Global Patent Forecaster tool which helps analyze and budget for global IP spend with a few simple clicks.

Sun IP is a global company, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, with offices in New York, Toronto, Glasgow, and Tel Aviv.

Since Sun IP was founded in 2016, we’ve grown under the leadership of IP experts with more than 80 years of combined industry experience, delivering reliable, expert-driven service to clients globally. Sun IP has a proven track record at delivering at the highest standard. Our team has filed over 15,000 global patents, translated over 1 billion words, and managed over 1 million renewal payments.

Sun IP is a global team of over 100 professionals including an in-house technical team of 50+ technical experts, located across key regions worldwide. Additionally, we work with a global team of linguists with native-level fluency and advanced degrees. Our translators have subject-
matter expertise and are matched with translation projects in
their technical field.

No, Sun IP is not a law firm. We are a global Intellectual Property management service provider. We work in close partnership with top-tier patent agencies and IP law firms across the world to ensure the protection of your valuable IP.

Yes. Sun IP is ISO 9001:2015 certified, reflecting our commitment to quality, consistency, and continuous improvement. For more information on what this means, visit https://www.iso.org/standard/62085.html

Sun IP was founded in 2016 by industry experts with more than 80 years of collective experience in intellectual property. Sun IP launched with services for foreign patent filing and translations for patent prosecution, later adding services for patent annuities and trademark renewals, IP recordals, translations for IP litigation, and non-legal translations.

Absolutely nothing! Sun IP’s Global Patent Forecaster is completely free to use for clients. Our clients get access to full patent lifecycle forecasting without any subscription fees or additional charges. For more information on our global forecaster tool, click here.

Sun IP applies a multi-layered approach to ensure critical data integrity, confidentiality, and availability.
– Data is categorized and backed up/retained for the minimum state/federal laws require
– Data is encrypted using industry-standard algorithms and protocols with multiple layers of encryption
– Backups are stored on multiple geographically separated devices with redundancy and automatic failovers
– Access to data is restricted to authorized personnel
– All activities are logged and audited to track changes, access, and security incidents

Sun IP can invoice clients in any currency of their choosing.

Sun IP offers comprehensive foreign filing services, including direct filings, PCT national phase entries, European patent (EP) validations, and Unitary Patent filings.
Sun IP provides filing and translation services in 192 countries. Discover our free, handy guide to filing rules by country, including common jurisdictions, all conveniently compiled in one place for easy reference here.

Sun IP has filed over 15,000 patents globally. For more information on Sun IP’s foreign filing service, click here.

You can place instructions directly through our secure online platform or by contacting our team. We’re happy to work with your preferred communication style.

The timeframe for submitting filing instructions depends on the size of the application. We can accommodate instructions up until the due date itself. Regardless of when they are received, we follow a rigorous process to ensure the highest quality in every filing.

Sun IP follows a rigorous, multi-step vetting process to ensure the quality and reliability of every agent we work with. This includes reviewing credentials, assessing service compatibility, aligning on expectations and pricing, providing training on our platform, and conducting regular performance reviews.

Yes, of course. We highly value transparency and are happy to share our agent network with you upon request.

Sun IP has strong relationships with its agents and has negotiated volume-based discounts, which reflect Sun IP’s competitive pricing. Our pricing is transparent, competitive, and clients have full visibility into all costs.

Absolutely. Sun IP is highly flexible. You’re welcome to use your preferred agents, and we’ll adapt to what works best for you.

Post-filing communications is between our client and the agent(s), but we are always on standby to help, if necessary. Post-filing, Sun IP offers services for managing annuity and renewal payments, and recordals. For more information on our renewals service, click here. For more information on our recordals service, click here.

No. Sun IP’s services also cover office actions, prior art, ITC and litigation needs, and non-IP legal documents. Learn more about our translations service here.

Sun IP provides filing and translation services in 192 countries. Discover our free, handy guide to filing and translation rules by country, including common jurisdictions, all conveniently compiled in one place for easy reference here.

Sun IP’s global team of translators are native-speaking, in-country linguists and proofreaders who hold advanced degrees and combine subject-matter expertise with extensive experience.

Sun IP’s standard turnaround is 1500 words a day, but we can meet aggressive deadlines up to 10,000 words a day.
For more information about how Sun IP is able to meet aggressive deadlines, visit our Resource Hub for case studies on quick turnarounds for translations.

You can place your order directly through our secure online platform or by contacting our team. We’re flexible and will work with your preferred process.

Yes. We regularly collaborate with outside counsel and are flexible in adapting to your team’s workflows.

At Sun IP, we offer transparent, per-word pricing with no hidden fees. Unlike providers that charge for formatting or feedback, we include proofreading, editing, formatting, and client revisions at no additional cost. We also leverage translation memory technology to reduce your costs further by minimizing redundancy.

Sun IP provides a flexible approach to translation service payments. Typically, an invoice is issued once the project begins – after approval and final fees are confirmed with agents.

Generally, Sun IP does not charge rush fees for translations. All costs will be shared with the client for sign-off before any work begins.

Yes. Sun IP uses advanced, technology-assisted translation memory systems that recognize repeated content across documents. This not only speeds up the process but also reduces translation costs – since you’re not paying to translate the same text multiple times.

Yes. Our translation memory technology identifies and stores repeated phrases across documents, so content can be reused consistently and efficiently. This not only speeds up the process but also reduces translation costs – since you’re not paying to translate the same text multiple times. Over time, as more content is stored in the system, your savings increase, making large or recurring projects significantly more cost-effective.

Yes. We integrate AI and machine learning into our translation workflows to improve accuracy, accelerate delivery, and optimize project management. Importantly, all translations are reviewed by expert human linguists to ensure quality and precision.

Sun IP manages renewal payments for patents, trademarks, designs, utility models, and Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs). Discover our free, handy guide to renewal payment rules by country, including common jurisdictions, all conveniently compiled in one place for easy reference here.

Yes. The Sun IP platform is programmed to ask specific questions in connection with any peculiarities of local law. Clients can specify a licence of right and entity type when entering their case details.

Our global renewal service covers all jurisdictions. Visit our go-to guide for global IP renewal rules to check IP renewal requirements for some common territories.

Sun IP’s renewal service is suitable for companies with 100+ renewal payments per year.

Yes. When a renewal is in the grace period, our system automatically adjusts the price to cover any additional official fees. Additionally, it’s possible to see in advance what the grace period pricing will be on our platform.

At Sun IP, we understand that every business has unique needs – and our pricing reflects that. We tailor our solutions based on a range of factors to ensure we deliver the best value – and with full transparency at all times. Our renewal pricing includes the official fee charged by the IP office and a service charge comprising Sun IP’s fee and, if applicable, a local agent fee. For a quote on your renewal portfolio click here.

No. We never charge late service fees, even for renewal instructions placed after the official due date.

Sun IP does not not charge urgency/rush fees or late service fees. Some providers charge urgency/rush service fees when a renewal payment is not instructed in a set timeframe before the official due date. For example, if renewal is instructed less than 3 months before the official due date, an urgency/rush service fee may apply. Additionally, some providers charge late service fees when a renewal payment is made after the official due date.

It is important to consider such fees when comparing several providers. To help you conduct a thorough cost analysis, we’ve created a free resource which will help you compare providers on a true-cost basis. To access it, click here.

No, Sun IP does not charge a transaction/currency transaction fee. This is a fee that some vendors charge to cover costs incurred from banks or foreign exchange (FX) providers when transferring funds to pay the official fee.

The prices you see on Sun IP’s platform are actual prices, not estimates. What you see in your quote is exactly what you’ll see on your invoice.

Renewal payment instructions can be placed manually through our secure online platform. Alternatively, many clients opt to have Sun IP automatically instruct saved renewals. Auto-instruct removes the need to log into your account and manually instruct cases, saving you time and reducing the potential for missing deadlines – the system takes care of this for you. We recommend auto instruct for corporations and universities who know which cases are to be maintained in the future.

Clients should send urgent instructions via the platform in the first instance. They can then follow up via email, but the safest way to get urgent instructions to us is via the platform. We’ll take action promptly and never charge urgency fees. Check out our case study Swift and Reliable Renewal Payments – No Deadline Too Tight to read how we can support even the tightest of deadlines.

No, Sun IP does not always pay direct to the official IP office, when available – and for good reason. For more information, read our blog If paying directly to the national IP office is an option, is it always the smartest route?

Sun IP will pay direct in countries where it makes sense and it doesn’t put our client’s IP at risk.

For Patents, we pay direct in: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Europe, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

For Trademarks, we pay direct in: WIPO, EUIPO, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Benelux, UK, Ireland, Austria, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Australia

We recommend you read our blog If paying directly to the national IP office is an option, is it always the smartest route?

Sun IP will verify case data which has an effect on renewal deadlines or official fees – at the time of upload and again prior to making the renewal payment – using publicly available online registers, where possible. This proactive review process often catches errors before they can cause problems

You can easily export your cases from your docket and send to our team. We’ll ensure it’s uploaded securely and accurately.

Yes, Sun IP can integrate with your case management system using an API. For more information about using an API, contact us.

Yes. Our platform supports auto-instruct so cases can be automatically instructed when renewals are due so there’s no chance of missed renewals. Alternatively, you can opt for manual instructions if preferred.

You have the flexibility to specify we use your particular agents, and we’ll onboard them to our platform.

Yes. You can set automated reminders directly in the Sun IP platform, which will notify you ahead of key deadlines.

They are provided as proof of payment to our clients. We provide proof of payment for every renewal. Where available, this includes official receipts from the IP office. If receipts are not issued, we supply register extracts as confirmation.

Yes. We securely retain all case records, enabling smoother and faster processing of subsequent renewals.

Yes. Sun IP provides standalone recordals services for entire IP portfolios as well as recordals in connection with ongoing renewals.

Sun IP acts as your single point of contact across all jurisdictions and service types. This eliminates the need to coordinate with multiple agents or manage parallel communications reducing your overall administrative burden.

Absolutely. We manage bulk recordals across jurisdictions, saving you time and ensuring consistency worldwide.

Simply enter your case details into our platform to receive an instant quote.

Usually, just supporting documents such as assignment or merger agreements, and sometimes notarized or legalized copies depending on the jurisdiction. We’ll tell you exactly what’s required.

Yes. You’ll receive real-time updates through our platform and confirmation as soon as each recordal is complete.