CFC vs Marsh: Intellectual Property Insurance

CFC underwrites and distributes its own IP policy, with AI-related wording added in 2026, while Marsh is a broker that says it can place five types of IP insurance and offers a proprietary IP Protect product.

Kearny Risk organizes these comparisons for firms whose advice, content or technology creates professional exposures.Research updated 2026-09-29

Areas of coverage

CFC

  • role: CFC underwrites and distributes an intellectual property insurance policy through what it describes as the largest dedicated IP insurance underwriting team in London, backed by specialist claims adjusters and risk management partners. IP product page description of CFC's IP practice.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: The reviewed IP product page does not name the specific insurer or Lloyd's syndicate that carries the risk on this policy. CFC's regulatory page lists several CFC entities, including its own Lloyd's Syndicate 1988, that CFC uses as underwriting vehicles across its business, but does not tie a specific one to the IP product. Checked the IP product page and CFC's regulatory information page; neither names an IP-specific carrier.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗
  • eligibility: CFC says its IP policy is designed for businesses with turnover up to $250 million (GBP or USD) across industries such as construction, manufacturing, professional services and consultants, and will also consider turnover up to $500 million for a narrower list of industries including medical drug discovery, software development, fashion, advertising, medical devices, and machine learning. Industries we cover section of the IP product page; final eligibility for any given business depends on underwriting.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: The policy covers infringement claims involving patents, trademarks, copyright and trade secrets, plus costs tied to loss of IP rights or loss of profit from an IP dispute. Product page coverage description; exact terms and exclusions are set by the policy as issued.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Coverage is built from three pieces: defense against infringement allegations from a third party, pursuit of parties infringing on IP the insured owns or licenses, and contractual indemnity protection that can extend down a supply chain if a claim reaches a customer or downstream contract. Defense/Pursuit of infringers/Contractual indemnity descriptions on the product page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: CFC says it added affirmative AI-related coverage language to its IP policy in 2026 as part of a rollout across seven products, explicitly addressing exposures like AI model hallucination, AI-generated content, and model drift rather than leaving them to implied or silent coverage. CFC news release on the affirmative AI coverage programme; describes intent and scope of the update, not specific policy wording.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: CFC offers a non-binding IP insurance indication online, asking only for the company name, website and revenue. IP product page indication call to action.company-reportedSource ↗

Marsh

  • role: Marsh says it is one of the only brokers with in-house IP expertise, a proprietary IP insurance product, and proprietary relationships with multiple specialty underwriters in the IP space; MMA also lists IP within its executive and professional liability practice. Marsh intellectual property page and MMA executive and professional liability page.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • coverage: Marsh describes IP Protect, a product it says it released in 2019 and that is backed by Ambridge Partners, as providing coverage for losses related to patents, copyrights and trademarks, with trade secrets available by optional endorsement. Intellectual property page, Our expertise and solutions section.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Marsh says it can place five types of IP insurance: defensive IP insurance (protecting the insured's own IP from external attack), offensive IP insurance (covering enforcement litigation costs), specific contingency insurance, trade secret value insurance, and IP-insured financing (securing an IP asset pledged as loan collateral). Intellectual property page FAQs; general descriptions, not specific policy forms.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: Marsh names Ambridge Partners as the entity backing its IP Protect product; the page does not clarify whether Ambridge Partners is the issuing insurer or an underwriting manager, and does not name insurers for its other IP products. Intellectual property page as read on 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗
  • services: Marsh says its IP specialists help clients identify and clarify IP risks and support development of risk management strategies addressing programmatic fundamentals, beyond just placing a policy. Intellectual property page opening description.company-reportedSource ↗

What Are the Key Differences Between CFC and Marsh Intellectual Property Insurance?

Five Placement Types Versus One Combined Policy

CFC combines defense, pursuit and contractual indemnity in an IP policy and includes turnover caps. Marsh describes IP Protect backed by Ambridge Partners plus contingency, trade-secret value, IP-insured financing and offensive enforcement, with in-house IP expertise. Choose Marsh if you need trade-secret valuation or IP used as loan collateral; choose CFC if you want one form that already combines defense, enforcement and indemnity. [2] [6]

What Each Structure Actually Covers

CFC's policy is one form for patents, trademarks, copyright and trade secrets, plus loss of IP rights or profit from a dispute, and it added 2026 AI-related wording. Marsh says it can place defensive IP, offensive IP, specific contingency, trade-secret value, and IP-insured financing that secures an IP asset pledged as loan collateral. Marsh describes IP Protect as covering losses related to patents, copyrights and trademarks, with trade secrets available by optional endorsement. CFC's reviewed form list does not name trade-secret value insurance or IP-collateral financing. [2] [1] [6]

Turnover Caps Versus Risk Advice

CFC designs the policy for turnover up to $250 million in listed industries and up to $500 million for a narrower list, and it offers a non-binding online indication. Marsh's reviewed IP records do not publish those caps. Marsh says its IP specialists help identify IP risks and support risk-management strategies beyond placing a policy. Ask on the quote what advice actually sits next to the binder. [2] [6]

What Should You Confirm in CFC and Marsh Intellectual Property Insurance Quotes?

  • Ask Marsh whether the quote is IP Protect, offensive cover, trade-secret value, contingency, or IP-insured financing, and what Ambridge's role is. [6]
  • Ask CFC whether contractual indemnity and 2026 AI wording are on the form. [2] [1]
  • Confirm your revenue against CFC's $250 million / $500 million thresholds. [2]
  • Get issuing-insurer names on both quotes. [3] [6]

Marsh is the fit if you need to compare trade-secret value insurance or IP-backed financing among five placement types. CFC is the fit if you want one policy that combines defense, enforcement and contractual indemnity, with published turnover caps.

Sources reviewed

  1. 01
    CFC responds to customer demand for affirmative AI cover

    CFC · Programme includes updates across... Intellectual Property (IP)...; addressing model hallucination, AI generated content and model drift · accessed 2026-09-23

  2. 02
    Intellectual property insurance

    CFC · Opening; Defense; Pursuit of infringers; Contractual indemnity; US-facing product offering · accessed 2026-09-16

  3. 03
    Regulatory information

    CFC · CFC Underwriting Limited; CFC Lloyd's Syndicate 1988; CFC USA Inc. · accessed 2026-09-23

  4. 04
    Intellectual Property Insurance application form — US

    CFC Underwriting Limited · Sections 1–2 pp.1–2; Section 3 pp.3–4; Section 4 p.4; Section 6.1 p.5; Section 6.2 p.6 · accessed 2026-09-16

  5. 05
    IP Infringement Insurance Application

    Intellectual Property Insurance Services Corporation · p.1 specimen request; Section 1 pp.2–4; Defense Section 2 pp.5–6; Enforcement Section 3 pp.7–9 · accessed 2026-09-16

  6. 06
    Intellectual Property

    Marsh · Opening positioning; Our expertise and solutions: IP Protect, Intellectual Property-Insured Financing, Edison IP; FAQs: What are the different types of intellectual property insurance? · accessed 2026-09-23

  7. 07
    Expert Executive and Professional Liability Insurance

    Marsh McLennan Agency · Our policies include D&O, E&O, EPL, commercial crime/fidelity, network security privacy risk/cyber, fiduciary, media liability, IP, architects and engineers, lawyers professional, and kidnap and ransom · accessed 2026-09-23

  8. 08
    Small Business Insurance

    National Association of Insurance Commissioners · Other types of business liability insurance · accessed 2026-09-16

  9. 09
    Intellectual property insurance (UK guidance)

    UK Intellectual Property Office · About IP and insurance > types of products; exclusions/excess/co-insurance; claims process and legal representation · accessed 2026-09-16

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