Channel 10’s Shark Tank is compulsive viewing for anyone who has started a small business. Watching budding entrepreneurs struggle with relinquishing any grip on their project can often have us screaming at the television to “TAKE THE DAMN DEAL!”

Following the airing of Sunday night’s episode, IP Australia has come out with some great advice for those looking to bring their new and exciting product to market.  The example identified is that of Kylie-Lee Bradford’s Piccaninny Tiny Tots (now Kakadu Tiny Tots). The business specialises in infant’s clothing and also has a range of organic soaps for different types of skin conditions.

 

 

(We’ll put aside the latent racism in the original name - ‘Picaninny’ being a very old colonial word for people with black skin - and acknowledge her move to change the name to something less offensive. Okay. Well done. Let’s move on.)

The key point is this: as soon as you have decided on a name for your product, be sure to do your research! Does the name exist in the market – particularly in relation to the product or service you are looking to sell? Before you engage marketer, designers and the rest of your promotional activities, check with IP Australia to se if you are actually able to operate under the brand name you have developed.

 

 

Shark Tank also highlighted another issue – one of note for companies with Indigenous heritage. There are strong rules to protect cultural identifiers and traditional imagery. IP Australia’s Dream Shield booklet and videos are a great resource for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to learn more about protecting their intellectual property.

(IP Australia)