BEFORE YOU SHARE A DRAWING
Intellectual Property, NDA and Confidentiality
OEM projects begin with a drawing, and a drawing is the one asset you cannot take back once it has been shared. This page sets out how we handle confidential material, what can realistically be protected, and what we do not promise.
WHERE IT MATTERS
Where intellectual property actually matters
Four assets decide most IP disputes in appliance projects. Knowing which is which changes what you protect, and when.
1
Tooling and moulds
Who pays for tooling, who owns it, and what happens if production moves. This is usually the clearest and most enforceable point in an appliance project.
2
Design and drawings
The asset most often shared too early. A full assembly drawing is rarely necessary to answer whether a project is feasible.
3
Brand and trademark
Registrations belong to you, and registering them in each target market is your responsibility — not the factory's and not a sourcing partner's.
4
Platform know-how
Much of an appliance is a shared platform. Understanding which parts are genuinely yours and which are standard prevents unrealistic expectations.
HOW WE HANDLE IT
How we handle confidential material
We ask for the minimum information needed to evaluate a project, not the maximum you are willing to send. At the brief stage that is usually a description, a target market, an indicative quantity and a reference product — not a full drawing set.
When drawings are needed, they are shared with the production parties required to quote or build the specific parts, not circulated broadly. What is shared, with whom, and at which stage is part of the project scope and can be agreed in writing before development starts.
• Start with a concept brief rather than complete geometry
• Share detailed drawings only with the parties who need them to quote or build
• Label files and state their intended use when you send them
• Agree confidentiality terms in writing before development begins
BOUNDARIES
What we do not promise
Confidentiality is an agreement between parties. We can respect it, coordinate it and structure the project around it, but we do not underwrite another company's conduct and we do not provide legal advice.
• No guarantee that a design cannot be replicated by others
• No claim that a platform or mechanism is exclusive unless it is contractually agreed
• Trademark registration and enforcement remain your responsibility in each market
• For high-value designs, use a lawyer qualified in your target market
PRACTICAL STEPS
Practical steps that reduce risk
Most IP problems are procedural rather than legal. These steps cost little at the start and are almost impossible to retrofit later.
• Register trademarks in target markets before the first shipment, not after
• Keep ownership of tooling where the project economics allow it
• Define exclusivity in writing if exclusivity matters to the product
• Limit how many parties ever see the complete assembly
• Keep a dated record of what was shared, with whom, and under what terms
Talk before you send the drawing
Tell us the product and market. We will tell you what we need to evaluate it — and what you can hold back for now.