After a five year product design journey, we are excited to announce that our patent application for the Kerminator® Wasp Lance has finally been approved and filed.
Working with a product design consultancy, we originally came up with three product concepts. We took them to a patent attorney firm and explained how each one worked so they could assess potential for any new and inventive claims. When we eventually agreed on the concept we should run with, the work began. We knew that the Kerminator® Wasp Lance was a unique product in the DIY sector, but the process to secure IP is a lengthy one involving extensive patentability searches, preparing and amending various applications and essentially, waiting your turn for an examiner to work on your case.
Our initial patent application had broad claims covering the pump and valve arrangement alongside the function of the cartridge housing. It was filed in the UK, followed by Europe and the US after which we needed to make a few adjustments to get round an existing patented product in the US which was designed to treat flies in mausoleums. It is a very different product to the Kerminator® in our view, but the patent process is complicated with the devil very much in the finite detail. Supported from the outset by a tenacious and very experienced patent attorney, we were able to pick apart the sticking points and still demonstrate that our product design was both new and inventive, so that James could eventually be awarded exclusive rights to his invention.
Having recorded our highest number of sales this week, coupled with a steady flow of 5* customer reviews, our IP is going to become increasingly important as we move forward with the Kerminator®. Our product is one of a kind in the market with our customers consistently commenting on the high quality components used, as well as the design build of the Kerminator® overall. Selling directly to the public via kerminator.co.uk and through a handful of online retailers, the Kerminator® is definitely making a name for itself amongst farmers, estate managers, roofers, tilers and other trades – all part of a growing network of private homeowners and business owners who want to treat their own wasp nests like a pro.
They say that all good things come to those who wait. We waited five years, but with intellectual property rights now in place we can look to commercial growth and future brand innovation with increased confidence. In short, the wait was worth it.