The NGO METALAB works in two key directions: creating housing for people who lost their homes due to the war through the KO-HATY project, and developing product innovations at POLE, their Center for Product Development and Design in Ivano-Frankivsk. Both directions are grounded in the principles of sustainable development, inclusive design, and community engagement.
Our team joined METALAB to support them with legal matters and to contribute to the development of innovative, barrier-free solutions. The collaboration focused on two areas:
- providing legal advice on intellectual property;
- strengthening the culture of sustainable and accessible design through educational initiatives.
Focus of our collaboration:
Development of an IP Guide
The IPSTYLE team created a comprehensive guide for METALAB explaining how to effectively manage intellectual property rights within community-driven initiatives. It covers contractual arrangements, registration, transfer of rights, and licensing.
Educational Webinar
Kateryna Drobysheva from IPSTYLE delivered a webinar on product design, highlighting the relationship between design and intellectual property rights. It turned into an open and practical conversation about how legal tools can support product development.
Drafting IP Assignment Agreements
Our legal team prepared the necessary agreements for the transfer of intellectual property rights, ensuring that the results of the work could be used correctly within the organization. This allowed METALAB to formally own all created materials and apply them freely in their activities.
Thanks to IPSTYLE’s legal support, METALAB strengthened the legal framework of one of its key initiatives, the internal acceleration program "Teplytsia" and gained greater confidence in its operations.
For IPSTYLE, this collaboration was more than legal assistance. It was an opportunity to contribute to building a safe, open, and inclusive environment for people who have experienced loss. The partnership between IPSTYLE and METALAB shows how shared goals and values can bring together two very different organizations. Together, we were able to create not only legal instruments but also an atmosphere of partnership, trust, and mutual respect.
This story demonstrates that even a small initiative can make a meaningful impact when driven by a genuine desire to help and to make the world better.
