Protecting IP

To protect the intellectual property of what may become a thriving product and service line I must consider both the idea and implementation as having critical value to the product and service. In this consideration I will address these concerns for both the idea and the implementation as pertaining to the service concept and the product concept. The reason for this separation is because the implementation will be sequenced by first starting the service line as a 3d printing alternative shipping, and then expanding this service as a limited line of products the company 3d prints and provides directly. I will discuss these in order of implementation according to the plan. The separation of the implementation of the 2 parts is also a strategy of protection I will discuss.

The service line has value in the idea. There may be other entrepreneurs willing to go at a true, start- from-scratch, implementation of this service. There are also established 3d printing services that would have fewer barriers to implementing this as a service. But It is less likely that they would be willing to implement a significant shipping function as part of the service. Competitors would likely outsource a local shipping service. So, while secrecy is important, to the extent possible; the implementation strategy could help protect this part of the business. This is where early action in establishing contractual agreements with local distribution services or partnerships would be beneficial. Another approach to this final local distribution could be to leave this to the customer for whom you are 3d shipping (locally printing).

The product stage of this implementation would be separated for financial reasons in that the service line could help fund the start of the product line. But implementing them in stages also helps with protecting the concept and implementation at each stage and therefore protects the company when most vulnerable.  The product line portion of the business is, by nature, a competitor to product manufactures, wholesalers and retailers. While there may be some truly new products coming out of this the whole idea is based on replicating parts already in use for replacement. This idea will have legitimate challenges to the intellectual and physical ownership of the replicated product. These protections, owned by the manufacturers, are the ones we would leverage by rights to use and streamlining a process for engineering review for every product. This would require that all replicated parts be certified as replicable and safe for 3d reproduction according to the manufacturer and the products intended use.