Construction

Overview

Practitioners and manufacturers in New Zealand’s construction sector face unique challenges. Our climate, diverse topography and geology, and the requirement for robust seismic performance mean that there can be no “one size fits all” approach to construction. However, the regulatory environment means that already-documented (Acceptable) solutions to construction problems are attractive. This means that innovative construction materials or methods can be passed over or taken for granted, and opportunities to exploit new discoveries can be missed.

There are roughly 50 000 enterprises in the construction sector, and the large majority of these are small businesses or sole practitioners. Construction professionals often recognize the importance of building a “brand” for their business, but may stop short of registering their intellectual property. For a small business, IP issues can sometimes be neglected in favour of keeping up with day-to-day demands of the business.

Adequate protection for your intellectual property is essential for developing and selling your innovative solutions to regulators and construction designers.

Registering your IP is an important part of a business strategy for commercializing a new construction component, material or method. The intellectual property asset can be attractive to investors, who in turn can help you gain regulatory approval (e.g. BRANZ appraisal) to encourage designers to specify your invention.

What we can do for you

 We can make sure that your brand is adequately protected, providing expert advice on registration of trade marks and designs, as well as copyright associated with your products. Innovative products and processes can be protected by filing a patent application, while aesthetic features of construction components can also be protected with design registrations. We can assist with strategies for preparing and filing patent and design applications in New Zealand, Australia, and in other overseas markets, which may have different regulatory requirements. This can allow you to license or sell your construction component, material or method overseas.


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