10 Key Questions to Ask When Demoing Trademark Docketing Software
Alt Legal Team | June 10, 2025
Managing a global trademark portfolio comes with significant complexity: tracking deadlines across jurisdictions, coordinating large teams, and maintaining accuracy at scale. The right trademark docketing software should do more than help—it should actively support your ability to manage risk, serve clients efficiently, and scale operations worldwide.
If you’re evaluating new docketing software, a well-structured demo is essential. Here are 10 strategic questions that every large international trademark practice should ask—and what to look for in a platform built to handle global scope.
1. Does the software automatically update trademark deadlines?
Manually tracking deadlines across hundreds—or thousands—of matters and jurisdictions is not scalable. Ask if the platform automatically updates deadlines based on changes in trademark office records, especially for the USPTO and WIPO.
Some systems, like Alt Legal, offer real-time integration with trademark offices, including the USPTO, to automatically calculate and update deadlines—freeing your team from repetitive data entry and reducing the risk of human error.
2. Can it manage international trademarks and jurisdiction-specific deadlines?
An international trademark portfolio requires an IP docketing software platform that supports trademark filings from across the globe. Ensure the platform can manage trademarks from global jurisdictions where you have filings, offers tools for WIPO/Madrid Protocol filings, and accommodates local renewal rules.
Modern platforms built for international practice—such as Alt Legal—support WIPO filings and make it easy to enter and manage jurisdiction-specific deadlines, providing centralized visibility into global portfolios. With Alt Legal, you can easily manage your WIPO filings with tools to ensure accurate updating and reporting from all designations, clear distinctions between designations and national marks, specialized filters for easy searching among WIPO matters, designations, and national marks, and a matrix view of the goods & services classes across designations.
3. How does the software support collaboration across large, distributed teams?
Your trademark team may be spread across offices, countries, and time zones. Ask whether the system includes robust permission settings, collaborative workflows, and secure access controls to support distributed workforces.
Solutions like Alt Legal offer flexible user roles and secure sharing features, allowing attorneys, paralegals, and local counsel to collaborate efficiently while maintaining proper data access and confidentiality. Alt Legal subscriptions include unlimited, free “seats” so users do not have to share logins or passwords. You can also customize docket access for all users so that they see only their matters and so that they have read-only or full edit access to their docket.
4. Is the platform user-friendly for a high-volume team?
In large-scale environments, usability matters. Your team needs a system that reduces onboarding time and supports fast, accurate docketing across a high volume of matters.
Platforms designed with ease of use in mind—like Alt Legal—offer intuitive navigation and minimal training requirements, allowing your team to move quickly and confidently through their workflows. Additionally, Alt Legal offers complimentary, unlimited training throughout the lifetime of your subscription, allowing new team members a full onboarding experience at any point in time. You can also request customized training for yourself or groups on beginning or advanced docketing topics to help you make the most of our software.
5. What onboarding and enterprise support services are included?
Enterprise-scale implementations often need more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Ask whether the platform provides custom onboarding, data migration assistance, and a dedicated support team.
Some vendors, including Alt Legal, include personalized onboarding, responsive support, and guidance tailored to your firm’s structure—all at no additional cost. Additionally, Alt Legal offers free ongoing migration in and out of the platform during the life of your subscription, enabling you to add new portfolios at any time.
6. Does it integrate with our existing tech stack?
With multiple systems in use—billing, calendars, CRM, document management—your docketing software should connect easily with the tools your team already relies on.
Look for platforms that offer seamless integration with enterprise tools. Alt Legal, for example, integrates with Outlook, Google Calendar, and Clio, and supports data import/export to streamline collaboration across systems.
7. Can the platform scale with our global practice and client base?
A global trademark practice grows quickly. Your docketing software should support that growth—both in terms of portfolio size and operational complexity.
Scalable platforms like Alt Legal are built to accommodate large dockets, multiple office locations, and multi-user environments, making them ideal for global practices serving enterprise clients.
8. How advanced are the reporting and analytics features?
Clear, customizable reporting is critical for internal oversight, client updates, and forecasting. Ask if the system supports scheduled reporting, filtering by jurisdiction, and visual analytics.
Sophisticated tools—like those in Alt Legal—offer highly customizable reports that can be filtered by attorney, office, client, status, or jurisdiction, helping you gain actionable insights and keep clients informed. Moreover, Alt Legal makes it easy to generate custom, client-ready reports with just a few clicks. You can also save your commonly-used reports that refresh with updated data each time they are accessed.
9. What are the platform’s security and compliance standards?
When working with multinational clients, data security is paramount. Ask about encryption, access controls, backup protocols, and adherence to global compliance standards (e.g., GDPR, SOC 2).
Enterprise-focused platforms, including Alt Legal, use secure cloud infrastructure with encryption, regular backups, and industry-standard compliance to safeguard sensitive IP data.
10. How transparent and predictable is the pricing model?
Unexpected costs can complicate budgeting—especially across multiple offices or business units. Ask whether training, support, additional users, or key features incur extra fees.
Some providers, like Alt Legal, offer flat, all-inclusive pricing with no hidden costs—making it easier for large firms to forecast expenses and roll out the platform across teams.
Final Thoughts
For international trademark practices, docketing software isn’t just a tool—it’s an operational foundation. The right platform will support your global reach, increase efficiency, reduce risk, and help you deliver exceptional client service.
If you’re seeking a scalable, intuitive solution designed with international trademark professionals in mind, Alt Legal offers the automation, flexibility, and enterprise support your practice demands.
Schedule a demo with Alt Legal at [email protected] to see how we support global IP teams in managing their trademark portfolios with clarity and confidence. Also, we would be pleased to offer you a free trial or demo of Alt Legal IP Docketing Software. To sign up, click here.