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Intellectual Property Insurance in Iowa

Iowa keeps confidential only trade secrets “recognized and protected as such by law” in public records, tying a business’s public-submission strategy to the Trade Secrets Act’s economic-value and reasonable-secrecy tests. An injunction can continue for a reasonable period after a secret ceases to exist to remove the misappropriator’s commercial advantage, so buyers should ask how the proposed IP policy treats both third-party defense and the business’s own enforcement costs. 1,2

What Is Intellectual Property?

Intellectual property insurance comes in two separate parts: defense, when you're accused of infringing a patent, trademark or copyright, and enforcement, when you pursue someone who copied yours. A defense-only quote doesn't pay for your own lawsuit, so ask for each part you need. Read the national Intellectual property guide.

What to Watch for in Iowa

  • Build A Specific Secrecy Record

    Iowa Code §22.7(3) protects trade secrets recognized by law, while chapter 550 requires economic value from secrecy and reasonable efforts to maintain it. Before giving source code, designs, formulas, or customer compilations to a public body, identify the exact protected portions and document access controls and confidentiality terms; the statutes do not make a whole proposal confidential. 1,2

  • Account For Post-Secret Injunction Relief

    Under Iowa Code §550.3, an injunction generally ends when the secret ceases to exist but may continue for a reasonable additional period to eliminate commercial advantage. Ask whether the policy’s enforcement option, if any, addresses that type of relief and whether it is separate from defense coverage. 2

  • Inventory Contract Duties Alongside Secrets

    Iowa defines misappropriation to include disclosure or use with knowledge of a duty to maintain secrecy or limit use. List NDAs, development agreements, and IP licenses for the broker, then ask how contractual IP indemnity allegations are handled under the actual policy wording. 2

Who Regulates Insurance in Iowa

Iowa Insurance Division

The Iowa Insurance Division licenses insurance producers and maintains separate lists for licensed insurers and surplus-lines insurer categories. Its filing page routes most rate, rule and form filings through SERFF and identifies filings requiring prior approval; eligible surplus-lines insurers are not required to file or seek approval of their rates or forms. 3,9,8,4,5

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 0.925% of surplus-lines premiums when Iowa is the insured's home state, for 2026 When Iowa is the insured's home state, the 2026 premium tax is 0.925%, and the surplus-lines producer shall collect and pay it to the state in addition to gross premium. Placement generally requires an eligible surplus-lines insurer and a diligent search showing the full amount or type is unavailable from an admitted insurer; an exempt commercial purchaser may bypass that search only after the producer discloses that admitted insurance may be available and may offer greater protection and oversight, then the purchaser subsequently requests surplus-lines placement in writing. 6,7

Providers With Documented State Licenses

No provider in Spot’s research documents both a state license record and this coverage line. This does not establish that providers are unlicensed. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm availability with a provider when requesting a quote.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Iowa

  1. Which exact portions of our Iowa public-body submissions satisfy the trade-secret test, and what evidence documents reasonable secrecy efforts?
  2. Does the proposed policy include any enforcement protection for an injunction that continues to remove a commercial advantage after a secret ceases to exist?
  3. How does the policy address allegations tied to our NDAs, software licenses, and contractual limits on use?

Intellectual Property in Iowa: FAQ

Are trade secrets in an Iowa public-record request confidential? 1,2

Iowa Code §22.7(3) keeps confidential trade secrets that are recognized and protected as such by law; chapter 550 requires economic value from secrecy and reasonable efforts to maintain it. 1,2

Can an Iowa trade-secret injunction continue after the secret is no longer secret? 2

Yes. A court may continue an injunction for a reasonable additional period to eliminate commercial advantage that otherwise would result from the misappropriation. 2

Intellectual Property in Other States

Other Coverage in Iowa

Sources

  1. Iowa Code §22.7, Confidential Records. Iowa General Assembly; Subsection 3, trade secrets recognized and protected by law; 2026 Code. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Iowa Code Chapter 550, Uniform Trade Secrets Act. Iowa General Assembly; §550.2(1)-(4), §550.3(1)-(2), §550.5; 2026 Code. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Iowa Insurance Division. Iowa Insurance Division; Homepage; official insurance regulator. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Insurance License Lookup. Iowa Insurance Division; State-designated producer/company search. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. File an Insurance Complaint. Iowa Insurance Division; Eligibility and process: regulated entities/individuals; insurance policy generally must be issued in Iowa, or group policy to Iowa-based employer; out-of-state-issued/purchased policy is not eligible; online form is preferred. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. 2026 Iowa Code, Chapter 432. Iowa Legislature; 2026 Iowa Code ch.432 §432.1(3)-(4): premium tax allocated to insured's Iowa home state; 2026 applicable rate 0.925%; §§1(5)-(6) payment schedule. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. 2026 Iowa Code, Chapter 515I. Iowa Legislature; 2026 Iowa Code ch.515I §§515I.3(1)(c), .3(2)(a), .4(3), .9: eligible-insurer and diligence conditions; producer shall collect and pay tax in addition to gross premium; eligible surplus-lines insurer rate/form filing exemption; ECP admitted-market disclosure re possible greater protection/oversight and subsequent written request. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Insurers Rate Filing and Policy Form Filings. Iowa Insurance Division; Current DOI filing page: lines 11–34 directs most rate/rule/form filings through SERFF and lists specific rates requiring filing and approval before use; 2026 Iowa Code §515I.4(3) separately exempts eligible surplus-lines insurers from rate/form filing or approval. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Insurers. Iowa Insurance Division; Current insurer categories separately list licensed insurers, Iowa-domiciled companies, alien surplus-lines insurers and American surplus-lines companies; lines 16–24. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  11. Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
  12. Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  13. About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  14. Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  15. Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  16. Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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