IP friendly approach to aftermarket products.

Aftermarket companies should assist customers' understanding of intellectual property and OEM-compatibility

Katun Corporation, the world's leading alternative supplier to the office equipment industry, recognises that aftermarket companies should assist their customers understanding of intellectual property and OEM-compatibility.

Katun today published a set of three easy-to-remember questions that office equipment dealers and end users can ask their suppliers to understand their approach to matters of intellectual property surrounding OEM-compatible parts and supplies.

"As the long-time leader in OEM-compatible parts and supplies in our industry, we've long been committed to working to respect the valid intellectual property of others, to safeguarding our own intellectual property, and striving to market 'IP friendly' products to our customers," said Karl Cerny, general manager, Katun EAME.

"While we work to ensure that our products meet or exceed the performance of their OEM equivalents, we also strive to see that our products are IP friendly to promote the uninterrupted supply of our products".

Katun's focus on intellectual property is a key aspect of its overall approach to providing quality products and service.

Typically, at the initial stage of product development, efforts are taken to promote IP compliance, including analysis of competitor's intellectual property in an effort to prevent any potential infringement of the rights of other companies.

While this process can be expensive and time consuming, Katun's IP-friendly approach demands this level of diligence for the benefit of both Katun and its dealer and distributor customers.

"While legal considerations generally prevent discussion of specific information related to intellectual property, an "IP friendly" supplier should understand and welcome the following types of general questions from its customers," Cerny said.

What resources does the supplier dedicate to manage intellectual property issues? One measure of an "IP friendly" approach is the dedication of internal and/or external legal resources to monitoring and managing intellectual property.

Customers should look for evidence of active and involved staff dedicated to intellectual property management.

Can the supplier explain its general approach to intellectual property? Many suppliers rightly consider much information surrounding their intellectual property process to be confidential.

However, an "IP friendly" supplier should welcome a customer's questions and concerns as to that supplier's IP efforts in general.

What does it mean if a certain product differs in appearance than its OEM equivalent? It's common and acceptable for aftermarket products to have a different appearance than their OEM equivalents, but an "I.P friendly" supplier often may design its products to be different for both IP-friendly and performance reasons.

This release is available in a handy, one-page reference via download from the Katun website.

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