Will My Intellectual Property Be Safe If I Manufacture In China?

Here’s everything you need to know about your question: “Will My Intellectual Property Be Safe If I Manufacture In China”.

Our CEO Andrew Namminga took a trip to our China office recently to oversee the production on a few of our clients ongoing projects. Manufacturing overseas is often the only cost-effective option for small companies attempting to break into a price-competitive market while maintaining a sustainable margin. Still many of our clients express concern about the safety of their intellectual property. While, of course, there is risk involved, there’s inherent risk of counterfeiting. However, there are steps you can take to minimize your risk.

Here are a few tips:

1. Travel with a native speaker. I’d suggest going with someone who understands the language. I don’t suggest trying to do your own project management, especially for your first time. Communication is vital, and it’s tough to be on the same page while you’re an entire a day apart!
2. Work with someone who knows how business is handled there. Contract manufacturers can be a tough bargain. But if you’re familiar with their projects and how they run their businesses, you can usually win them over. I’ve had clients give it a try and do a great job at it, although they would still ask for occasional counseling.
3. Ask for counseling. I’ve also had clients run into trouble and make various mistakes because they weren’t willing to extend for management oversight.
4. Remember that quality control is worth the extra attention. I sincerely suggest working with someone to help you handle your quality control — someone you can trust. Quality control is an integral part of product development.

If you have any questions regarding manufacturing overseas, or experiences about building the right channels, feel free to contact us.