As the globalization process continues to accelerate, cross-border e-commerce sellers are facing unprecedented opportunities. However, along with this comes a high-risk area that cannot be ignored – intellectual property rights, especially patent risks. Especially in the pet products industry, where product functions and structures are complex and appearance designs are highly recognizable, it is very easy to get involved in patent disputes.
This article will combine actual industry cases to comprehensively analyze the patent risks that cross-border sellers may encounter when exporting their products overseas, and further explain why cooperating with a “patent-compliant supplier” like Canbo is the safe way to cross the intellectual property minefield and quickly open up the international market.
When planning overseas markets, companies often face three types of intellectual property risks:
Product design risk： such as product design patents, utility model patents, etc. For example, foldable, adjustable, and other structural designs are likely to overlap with existing patent technologies, while product surface textures, contour shapes, etc., may also lead to appearance infringement disputes.
Brand usage risk: For example, the use of “compatible with XX brand” in the description or the unauthorized appearance of another person’s trademark on the packaging may constitute infringement.
Regional difference risk: Different countries have significant differences in patent examination standards, protection periods, and enforcement intensity. For example, the EU has extremely strict requirements for appearance design, the United States has a detailed review of functional design, and Southeast Asian countries lag behind in protection but have increasingly strict enforcement.
Once the red line of intellectual property rights is touched, enterprises will face all-around negative impacts. In terms of online channels, the first things to be affected are the removal of products from e-commerce platforms and the freezing of store accounts, which will not only directly affect current sales but also cause difficulties in capital turnover.
The risks of offline channels should not be underestimated either. Customs seizure of goods and forced destruction of inventory are common, especially in recent years, as customs in various countries have strengthened enforcement of intellectual property protection. More seriously, such incidents often lead to the breakdown of cooperative relationships with offline channels such as supermarkets, resulting in long-term losses.
From the perspective of brand building, the negative impact of intellectual property disputes is more far-reaching. Consumer trust declines, market expansion plans are hindered, and competitors take advantage of the situation… These invisible losses are often more difficult to make up for than direct fines. A typical case is that a pet brand lost market share due to a patent dispute, and it took three years to gradually recover.
We have come into contact with many sellers who were removed from the platform and had their funds frozen during the peak season simply because they did not verify a certain structural design patent, resulting in the inability to recover their inventory investment and forced suspension of sales plans. Some customers were also accused of infringement of appearance design in the European market; their goods were seized at customs, and their retail channels terminated their cooperation.
These losses are often not simply a matter of “fines” but multiple blows to brand trust, market space, and development pace.
As a manufacturer that has been deeply involved in the pet products industry for many years, Canbo has established a three-dimensional patent protection network covering major markets such as China, the United States, and Europe. Our core advantages are:
Product level: Each hot-selling product has undergone a professional patent layout. For example, our popular “Adjustable Pet Ramp” has obtained a utility model patent in China, a structural patent in the United States, and a registered appearance patent in the European Union, ensuring compliance qualifications in multiple markets.
Mechanism level: We have established a continuous update and patent monitoring mechanism to ensure that product design and patents evolve synchronously and to detect potential risks in a timely manner.
Cooperation level: We provide flexible patent licenses to support customers to sell with peace of mind, and at the same time, provide a full set of legal documents to meet the platform review and offline supermarket procurement compliance requirements.
More and more brands have realized that cooperating with suppliers with patent protection capabilities is a key part of building competitiveness in the international market.
Cooperating with Canbo, you will get:
Compliance entry guarantee: A product portfolio with complete patents can successfully pass the platform review and customs clearance requirements.
Market premium ability: Patent-licensed products are more likely to gain platform traffic support and favor from high-end customers.
Operational risk barrier: In the face of sudden complaints, we can assist in providing patent certificates and authorization certificates to effectively resolve platform risks.
As global trade becomes increasingly complex, products with independent patent protection are becoming a new barrier for brands to go global. Canbo is willing to support your internationalization strategy with a comprehensive intellectual property layout and compliance product system.
Welcome to contact the Canbo team to learn about the authorization mechanism and cooperation plan for our patented products.
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