How to go about copywriting a product

evokit

Hi

Not sure if this is the correct place to ask this, move if needed.

I have designed a new handleless kitchen door im about to put into production.
Im just woundereing how i can claim it so its not picked up or copied by the sheds or other kitchen companies?

Any advice on the route to do this or where i can gaint would be great

Thanks

InsideInsurance

Copywriting is the writing information about a product (ie the product description)

Copyrighting is the protection of the design itself and is automatic, there is no act needed for a copyright but there are a few steps that can be considered sensible to be able to prove the date you created the design

A Patent will protect the invention itself but it must be considered unique enough to be able to get one.

You'd be best finding a local Intellectual Property solicitor who can advise you. Unfortunately the costs are VERY variable because it depends on if there are any challenges.

evokit

Thanks insider
i think ill order the free patent info and look into it to saving paying someone to do this for me.
Seems rather straigh forward from my end, but as many know its not always the case

eca_

InsideInsurance is spot on here, I'd add that the Patent office are free and very helpful (call them) patent.gov.uk.

You can also seek financial assistance from your local government business organisation for patents. It is expensive to file but you may be able to use a 'Design Registration' - offered by the patent office too, it is a lot cheaper and easy to file yourself.

The thing about patents is this, unless you're a corporation, you'll never have the resources to defend them. It also puts your design out in the public domain for people who know this to copy.

InsideInsurance

You are better off having a different strategy to be honest unless you have a very large financial backer. The only thing more expensive than getting these things in place is the cost of defending them especially if you are up against corporations that can add 8+ zeros to the end of your bank balance.

Copying will ultimately happen, you have to accept that, you just need to find a different way to compete with the big boys than simply head to head on a mass market product or sell the idea rather than the product but that is very difficult because again as soon as you tell them they have the choice of buying or basically copying

eca_

InsideInsurance wrote: »

You are better off having a different strategy to be honest unless you have a very large financial backer. The only thing more expensive than getting these things in place is the cost of defending them especially if you are up against corporations that can add 8+ zeros to the end of your bank balance.

Copying will ultimately happen, you have to accept that, you just need to find a different way to compete with the big boys than simply head to head on a mass market product or sell the idea rather than the product but that is very difficult because again as soon as you tell them they have the choice of buying or basically copying

Creating a Trademarked brand is another way of doing this, most companies realise designs will be copied but brand can be protected and put their effort into this.

Selling the rights is a good idea too.

Catherine_Johnson_2

evokit wrote: »

.......I have designed a new handleless kitchen door........

I assume your 'handleless kitchen door' is different somehow from all the other handleless kitchen doors that are out there? :cool:


Sorry, doesn't really answer your question, but I was wondering how many different types of handleless kitchen door there can be!

PasturesNew

Patents are hard. You have to submit a patent that is sufficiently different from an existing one, to get granted. What you are patenting has to also be something new and identifiable as a new process.

There might, for example, already be a patent for your design registered - and the previous inventor simply never actually made it, or failed to make it, or made it and was unsuccessful at sales, or died and the patent is still valid.

It can cost a fortune, with figures of up to £100k often being bandied about.

PasturesNew

Catherine_Johnson wrote: »

I was wondering how many different types of handleless kitchen door there can be!

It's a velcro belt you wear - and there's a velcro strip on each door.....

patman99

I'd try Baylis Brands. This was set up by Sir Trevor Baylis to offer a fixed-price service to help inventors and designers. You pay the £500 fee and submit the completed pack they send-out to you. They then go through the process of checking for existing products and patents, finding companies to help bring the product to production and retailers to sell it.

Be aware, they are very thorough. I submitted a design for a more efficient keyboard for data entry and it turned-out at least 3 companies had designed and patented such modified keyboards over the last 15 years. Still, better to lose £500 than invest £1,000's in a product already patented.

oldoakey

Try ACID (anti copying in design) I have never used them but there are all over my trade (furniture) where there is a lot of copying done. I think it works on a joining fee and then yearly subscription see it here http://www.acid.uk.com/join-acid.html

Check them out as this could be your cheapest route to protect your designs from being copied and I believe they fight your case if you get an infringement.