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Consumer products, such as kitchen appliances, footwear, sporting equipment, toys and novelty goods, furniture lighting and more, all have the potential to be patented.
Just like any invention, so long as the consumer product meets the patent criteria of being new, not obvious and functional, you can apply for a patent.
As some consumer products tend to consist of fewer complex elements and quickly become superseded, they are often left unpatented by corporations.
This is due to the cost of filing outweighing the benefits of holding the patent. Consumer products that are more expensive and have longer lifespans, such as the Vorwerk Thermomix™ which can cost many thousands of dollars typically have a number of patents protecting the way they function.
A consumer product patent is defined as any patent issued specifically for protecting a product aimed at the consumer market.
In Australia, we only have two patent types - a provisional patent application and a standard patent application. The best way to protect a consumer product is typically to file a provisional patent application which lasts for 12 months and then decide within that time if it is worth filing a standard patent application. Your invention will be protected for the 12 month life span of the provisional patent application and you can start selling the product that was disclosed in the provisional patent application.
As with all patents, a consumer product patent protects the IP rights of the inventor or their employer to exclusively manufacture, market and sell that item.
The quickest and least complicated way to patent your consumer product is to speak with a qualified patent attorney.
Whether the expense involved in filing is worth it will depend on the uniqueness of your product and its potential to fill a gap in the market.
An experienced attorney will assess your product to determine if it meets the necessary criteria and provide guidance on whether a patent is suited to your needs.
They will also handle the filing of all paperwork and any challenges en route to the patent being granted.
I found them online and initially I was bit hesitant to talk to them about my problem but when I spoke to Barry, I felt more comfortable, and he gave me all the information and advice I wanted without even thinking that I am going to give him business or not. Finally, I went with them, and they made the entire process so smooth and easy for me. john was keeping us updated with each step he was doing. I would recommend these guys for any patent or trademark related service.
I would like to express my thanks to Barry and his team at IP Guardian in Sydney for their assistance with our recent Trademark application. Barry was highly professional, readily available throughout the process and clearly communicated expectations. Barry even helped us refine our application so that we had a greater chance of success which was very much appreciated to avoid extra costs. I would highly recommend Ip Guardian for all your Trademark and Intellectual Property needs.
Barry, last week, you and your professional team, made my year (or probably my next 21 years). So thank you so much for your executive, calm yet very effective actions under extream pressure. Elias Hajjar, Director, TROLLEYON PTY LTD
Informative, understood the business, what it needed and answered questions in a friendly and approachable manner. Easy decision to continue working with IPGuardian for future trademarking
From the day I contacted Barry Meskin until now with my silly amateur questions, he has been nothing short of amazing. I actually NEVER leave reviews anywhere, but I felt the need to do so for Barry and his team. I myself am a tradie, so I felt intimidated speaking to an attorney. But the second I spoke to him on the phone, he made me feel right at home. Never pressured me into any decisions, yet when I decided to go ahead with him, he delivered what I needed much quicker than what I was expecting. I cannot speak highly enough of him and recommend his services 100%.
The team at IP Guardian have made the process extremely straight forward and easy for us to understand exactly what was required. I will highly recommend to our clients who need help with IP.
I have dealt with Barry over the years, his advice and experience has helped me greatly. Looking for to working with him and his team again. Maher.
IP Guardian helps protect words, symbols, letters, numbers, names, signatures, phrases, sounds, shapes and smells. Yes, I said smells.
We've had the pleasure to work closely with Barry for many years. He has been exceptional to deal with and has a keen focus in providing a commercial led IP "go to market" strategy for start-ups and well known brands. Makes it easy and always advises on different ways to navigate through the IP process.
Barry Meskin @ IP Guardian is an experienced and extremely knowledgeable expert in the domain of intellectual property, patents and trademarks. In addition he has been extremely responsive and very professional in all our dealings. I wholeheartedly recommend Barry's services to any business or anyone seeking advice in this area - great quality and great value.