CPA Global has been shopping again and this time it has absorbed the Clarivate (former Thomson Reuters) IP renewals business, growing CPA’s already dominant position in the renewal services sector.

Not a match

Clarivate has promoted transparency as well as boasting no Foreign Exchange (FX) mark-ups and highly competitive local fees (it also doesn’t charge any local fees in most direct pay countries). This is completely at odds with CPA who, based on tariff data I have analysed on behalf of clients, routinely apply FX mark-ups of between 20% and 50% ; CPA also charges local fees in every direct pay country, usually with the exception of the customer’s home country.

Keeping the wolf from the door

Clarivate customers should take a close look at their invoices from now on; making sure that they have obtained and analysed a tariff of official and local fees, and that the tariff is being applied in invoices received.

Further growth of CPA’s already dominant market share is not healthy and, I suspect, is going to result in increased costs and risk for its customers.