What will they think of next?
What will they think of next? (October 2017)
Patents provide a 20 year market monopoly in a product or process, which can be a significant commercial advantage. You have to file before disclosure or use, and only a Registered Patent Attorney like our IP specialist Virginia Nichols is qualified to help you.
Some people think patents are only for “high tech” companies, but kiwi ingenuity shows itself in many different fields. Here are some bright ideas New Zealanders have recently protected with patents:
- Agriculture and horticulture
- A line strainer for electric fences.
- A flexible fence spreader and outrigger that connects to it without needing tools.
- Posts for supporting wires for grape vines by providing a trellis component.
- A strap for tethering plants to supports.
- A meter for determining the dry matter content of pasture.
- A feeder tray for a bee hive.
- Building and industry
- A hollow double tongued joint which increases sound absorbance and resistance.
- A safety device for workers operating at a height.
- A heat exchanger.
- Logistics and transport
- A winder for the side cover or curtain of a truck.
- A powered wheelchair controlled by the weight displacement of a user.
- A shipping container ventilation apparatus.
- Medical inventions:
- A feijoa fruit extract for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and Type-2 diabetes.
- Several tissue sample collection devices.
- A device for insertion of a dental implant.
- Computers and commerce
- A system for performing a financial transaction over a communications network.
Whatever your business, if you have a great idea, keep it secret and contact us for professional advice on your best options.