By David Koller

Having a unique and useful product is what makes you stand out and what expands your business. But, you are not the only one aware of this. It’s not an uncommon occurrence that someone tries stealing a product design. As this problem won’t cease to exist, the next best option is to protect your product. This way, you can always take legal action and keep what’s rightfully yours. It’s not hard protecting your product from design thieves, and it surely pays off in the long run.

– Make sure your product is truly one of a kind

The registration process is somewhat complicated, and it begins at home. Before applying for it, you’ll need to make sure that there is no other product out there like yours. That means you need to have something distinctive and new. This helps not only with your registration but also with the overall sales.

Distinctive means that your design can’t be similar to any previous design. The best way to make sure that your design is, in fact, distinctive is to search the market and your country’s patent and trademark registry. That’s also the easiest way to check for other, similar, designs.

If you describe your design as new, it means it that the design hasn’t been seen before. To further specify, it would mean your design is new if it’s not already on the market, but also if it didn’t appear in public on any occasion. This is why it’s important to remember not to reveal your design to the public before you register it.

– Decide what kind of protection you need

There isn’t only one way to protect your product design. You can ask for a trademark or a patent. Which one you choose depends on what you are trying to achieve with your product. If you want to make your product stand out from other brands which are similar, you’ll need a trademark. These are very useful for many reasons, but are also fun to come up with.

[amazon_link asins=’1945555084′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’succeedingi0d-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’671b175f-8914-11e8-9fa9-2988d2f6f277′]The other type of protection – a patent – is needed if you have something that is new and innovative. In most cases, you’ll need a patent. That’s why it’s important to know that there are two types of patents. A standard patent is what most people opt for, and it lasts for 20 years. It takes a while to approve; it can take up to a couple of years. It’s used for something that’s not on the market yet. In other words, something different from the technology that already exists.

If you don’t think the standard patent is for you, then you can choose the innovation patent. That one lasts somewhat shorter- up to 8 years. In this case, you won’t have a new and revolutionary product to register, but rather one that has been upgraded. You only need to patent the small changes made, i.e. the differences from the previous model. About a month is needed for this patent to be approved.

– Prepare your case

When you’ve made sure that your product design meets the required criteria and when you’ve made up your mind about what kind of protection fits your needs best, it’s time to start preparing for your registration.

T[amazon_link asins=’1517273935′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’succeedingi0d-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’9d0a9e68-8914-11e8-a9d6-a5dadf237ce2′]he most efficient way to do this is by preparing visual representations of the features your design has. The drawings you present need to be detailed. What’s more, you need to draw your design from as many perspectives as you can. That will help demonstrate why your design is new and distinctive and will make your case stronger.

– Submit an application

The next step is to submit your registration through your nation’s patent or trademark office. It will then be examined and checked. Make sure you have provided all the information needed and mentioned above so that this part of the registration takes up less time. It’s also a good idea to get more advice from an intellectual property lawyer to ensure you’ve done everything correctly. Once everything is checked out, and your application goes through, your design will be registered.

– Get ready for examination

The last step dictates that your design needs to be certified as well. So don’t forget to request an examination. The examiner will make sure your design meets the distinctive and new criteria. When it’s cleared, you’ll be able to take legal action against people trying to use the same design.

Certification might just be the most important part, as it is what grants you legal action. The registration just means that your design is your intellectual property. Remember not to skip this step.

Conclusion

Sadly, there are always going to be people who try to take something that doesn’t belong to them and who try to make a profit out of other’s ideas. It’s important to be aware of this, and more importantly, to take action before it happens. Protecting your product will help you retain its unique status and give you a sense of security. It’s something every business owner should think about. Hopefully, you’re on the right track to securing the well-being of the products you offer!

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David Koller is a passionate blogger and copywriter for Media Gurus, mainly interested in SEO and Digital Marketing.