KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 — The Christmas festivities are upon us, and with that comes the shopping spree.
From Christmas trees to stockings, decorative items and wrapped presents, this is the season for giving!
The momentous year-end season has become an industry of its own filled with innovative products that aim to bring a touch of creativity to the yuletide cheer.
At first sight, patent and trademark offices around the world may not seem a likely place to find the Christmas spirit.
A quick search online however revealed some interesting Christmas-themed innovations that not many people may have ever known existed in the market.
Here are some Christmas-related innovations from around the world which are protected by patent laws in their respective countries.
1. Snowman-making apparatus
In most parts of the world, Christmas comes with snow and the fun of making snowmen.
But if you have ever tried to build one, you probably understand the difficulties of assembling each body part to be symmetrical.
To make life easier, an inventor created an ingenious mould to help you build a snowman seamlessly.
The device provides hemispherical bowls of different sizes to carve the perfect snowman/woman.
It is currently patented in the US and Great Britain.
A patent application is also filed in Canada.
2. Santa detector
This is a perfect device for children to get the Santa Claus magic factor during the festive season.
In the 1990s, an inventor received a patent for a detector device that came in a stocking to alert the arrival of Santa Claus.
It contained a switch, power and light source in the stocking to announce when Santa arrives through the chimney.
3. Foldable Christmas tree
One of the most common issues people face with Christmas trees is how to store them throughout the year, considering the space it requires.
An Australian inventor solved the problem by inventing a foldable Christmas tree to take up little space.
This inventor did the needful by protecting his nifty invention by filing a new patent application.
4. Cactus Christmas tree
Mention Christmas trees and conifer is likely the first plant species that comes to mind.
But, an unconventional inventor decided to break the norm and design a cactus Christmas tree for a change.
This spiky design which seeks to bring a breath of fresh air to the holiday season was protected by a patent granted in 2003.
5. Edible gift wrap for pets
The furry ones were not left out of the yuletide joy thanks to a pet-loving inventor.
This uniquely invented Christmas gift comes with everything edible, including a gift box, wrap, lid and decorative items such as bows or tickers.
Each component of the system comes in a variety of flavours and is composed of materials that are digestible and safe for consumption by particular species of pets.
This unique invention is protected by a patent.
The possibilities of innovations available for patent protection are virtually endless.
For the uninitiated, patents have become an integral part of any industry to promote innovation and also to protect intellectual property rights.
When a patent owner obtains a patent, they secure the exclusive right for 20 years, allowing them to manufacture, sell and market the product, while preventing others from taking advantage of the owner’s creative idea.
Henry Goh & Co is Malaysia’s leading intellectual property (IP) firm with expertise in trademark, patent, industrial design and copyright protection.
The firm ensures its clients stand out from the crowd through IP awareness and IP protection.
Surf here to find out about Henry Goh & Co and their services.
