Intellectual property rights (IPR) is a collective term for patents, trademarks, designs and intellectual works. Such rights may be crucial to the success of your enterprise, because they can keep your competitors at bay or give you an important competitive edge in some other way. However, many enterprises decline to register and protect their intellectual property rights because they know that it can be costly to defend and enforce them.

Cases involving intellectual property rights, and patent cases in particular, are often complex and demand detailed legal and technical expertise.

It may be important for small and medium-sized enterprises in particular to establish financial equality with larger enterprises that have the capacity to cope with long court procedures.

The purpose of IPR insurance is therefore to minimise the costs you incur in a legal dispute over intellectual property rights, and to make it easier for your enterprise to defend itself or enforce its rights.

Options for Norwegian enterprises to take out IPR insurance

It may be a good idea to assess how you will finance tackling any future infringements at the same time as you apply for a patent, design or trademark.

Norwegian enterprises have the option of taking out IPR insurance with several insurance providers, both in Norway and abroad. Most insurance providers allow you to choose between "tailored" insurance and a more standardised, fully developed form of insurance

Whether you choose a standardised or tailored solution will depend on what needs your enterprise has, with regard to geographical coverage, what rights you wish to insure and what you wish to insure against (for example expenditure ahead of a possible court case, costs associated with a court case, demands for compensation, disputes over licensing or confidentiality, validity of rights, etc.).

What does it cost?

The aim is for the insurance premium also to be affordable for small and medium-sized businesses.

You should ask for quotations from relevant insurance providers in order to obtain precise prices.

The role of the Norwegian Industrial Property Office

IPR insurance is a general insurance agreement between the insurance company and the customer. The Norwegian Industrial Property Office (NIPO) does not offer insurance, and does not have any involvement in IPR insurance agreements. Neither, therefore, is the NIPO liable for the agreements you enter into with the insurance supplier.

However, the NIPO wishes to be involved in making this offer known to rights holders and Norwegian businesses so that the enterprises are aware that the offer exists. You can then make a conscious choice as to whether you wish to take out such insurance for your intellectual property rights.

Insurance suppliers offering IPR insurance to Norwegian enterprises

We have drawn up a list of private, commercial insurance providers offering IPR insurance to Norwegian customers. It includes only those providers who have asked the NIPO to place them on the list.

We wish to point out that the list is based on the providers' own information. The NIPO does not undertake any ranking or quality assurance of the providers or their products.

Insurance suppliers offering legal dispute insurance or IPR insurance to Norwegian enterprises:

Norway:

Willis AS
Drammensveien 147 A, 0277 Oslo
Tel: +47 23 29 60 00
Contact person: Jan Granås
E-mail: jan.granas@WillisTowersWatson.com
Mobile +47 94 86 48 03
www.willis.no

If
Drammensveien 264, 0283 Oslo
Tel: Customer Centre: +47 21 49 24 00
www.if.no/bedrift/forsikring-for-bedrifter/ansvarsforsikring/patentforsikring  
www.if.no/privat

Gjensidige Forsikring ASA
Schweigaards gate 21, 0191 Oslo
Tel: Customer Centre: +47 915 03100
www.gjensidige.no/naringsliv/forsikring/ansvar/forsikring-for-immaterielle-rettigheter
www.gjensidige.no/naringsliv

Denmark:

Söderberg & Partners
Amaliegade 3,1. 1256 København K
Tel: +45 20 60 73 43
Contact person: Carsten Scharff
Email: carsten.scharff@soderbergpartners.dk
www.soderbergpartners.dk 

Sweden

Säkra AB
Billeplatsen 5, 252 23 Helsingborg
Tel: +46 42 12 07 60
Mobile: +46 709-206427
Contact person: Sigvard Åkerman
E-mail: sigvard.akerman@sakra.se 
www.sakra.se

Do you wish to be placed on the list?

Contact our Customer Service Centre

Any provider of IPR insurance can register and be placed on the list. The businesses appearing on the list are themselves responsible for the information and for the quality of the services they offer.