HUSKEE PRODUCT PROTECTION FOR THE REUSABLE COFFEE CUP
Huskee is a design company that found a way to reuse an originally single-use product. The central purpose of their design is to enable people to move away from single use into a more sustainable way of having their daily cup of coffee. They achieved this by using a coffee husk and turning it into a reusable coffee cup. The result is an aesthetically innovative coffee cup with unique thermal properties. With this innovation, they continue to revolutionize the coffee industry.
Design Making
The design-making for the reusable coffee cup underwent a meticulous process. To produce the perfect design, Huskee considered the design intent from stakeholders. They collaborated with stakeholders and creators to ensure that the product would work well with their values. The founders thought that the success of their product was due to the plethora of voices they listened to when finalizing the design.
How they protected their product
Huskee has a product that entered the international market. They manufacture in China, design in Australia, and sells to over 70 countries. By engaging in the global market, they introduce themselves to key markets. This puts them in a position where they are susceptible to counterfeiters.
With this, the concern shifted to ‘how they will protect their product’.
Design protection
Design registration calls for specificity. Subsequently, Huskee registered for three design registrations because they have three different cup sizes that are slightly different.
Adrian, a co-founder of Huskee, confirmed in a statement, “The design registrations that we had because the cups actually are three different sizes, there are actually three slightly different shapes, the actual contours and draft angles they vary slightly.”
Design registration requires precision noting that a design right protects the overall appearance of new and distinctive products as to their shape, colour, configuration, pattern and ornamentation.
Huskee have registered designs for their cups. They resolved a case in Europe where somebody copied the cup and made some slight modifications. Using their IP rights, Huskee enforced their design. After this process, the replicant products were recalled off the market.
Brand protection
For Huskee to take steps to protect their brand, they needed to navigate trademark and IP laws.
According to Adrian, Co-founder of Huskee, having an IP specialist has been invaluable.
“It’s just taken a massive load off and just made the process a lot more streamlined.” he continued.
Brand protection in Australia requires registration for a trademark in IP Australia. Application for a trademark enables a company to have full rights to the registered trademark. It prevents others from copying and using the brand name. Huskee hold registered trade marks for HUSKEE, HUSKEEWARE, HUSKEE. (logo), HuskeeCup and HuskeeSwap.
Two-stranded approach
Huskee has two agendas. First, protect themselves through legal mechanisms and IP. Second, building a presence and become a market leader separating Huskee from obvious counterfeiters.
To achieve this, Saxon, Co-founder of Saxon, stated, “We’re definitely going to continue investing in IP. We need to, it’s our business. And as a design-driven company, if we don’t protect what we do, then the shelf life of our ideas is much shorter.”
Our Trademark Lawyers in Sydney are Experts when it comes to Registering Trademark or Trademark Opposition Process in Sydney
Alessandra “Max” Maxine, Digital Administrator
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Disclaimer. The material in this post represents general information only and should not be taken to be legal advice.
