World 6 · Global IP Navigator · Lesson 23

Risk review before global product launch

A pre-launch review looks at names, designs, technology, content, contracts and online channels — in the markets you prioritise, within the budget you have.

5 min
Jurisdictions: International / treaty, Australia, United States, European Union
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026

Draft — awaiting editorial review

Educational content, not legal advice. Lessons are drafts awaiting editorial review.

You will learn to

List the IP risks to review before launching abroad.
Explain why owning a patent is not the same as freedom to operate.
Prioritise the review by market and budget, and record the remaining risk.

Whose rights does your product touch?

Look at each layer of the product. Name and logo: do they conflict with trade marks in the new market, and do they mean something unfortunate in the local language? Product appearance: is there a similar registered design? Technology: do someone else's patents in force in that country cover the product — the freedom-to-operate question? Content: are the photos, music, fonts and video licensed for the territory and use you plan? Software: what obligations do the open-source licences carry when you distribute the product?

Contracts, borders and online channels

Distributor and agent agreements should say who owns and who registers the trade mark in that market. If a distributor files in its own name, getting the mark back can be hard and costly. Check the territory and term of every licence you grant or receive. In some countries a right holder can work with customs authorities to stop infringing goods at import; conditions and procedures differ by country. Finally, check country domains, social handles and marketplace storefronts in each market.

Prioritise by market and budget

Nobody can review everything everywhere, and a claim of worldwide clearance would be untrue. Rank your markets: where you launch first, where you manufacture, where most revenue will come from and where competitors are strongest. Spend the budget on the most serious risks in those countries first. Record what was reviewed, where and when, what was not reviewed, and the decision you made about the remaining risk. An honest record is worth more than a broad claim.

Try a scenario

A Ho Chi Minh City furniture business is preparing to export a new chair range to Japan and the US through a distributor. Its IP review budget is limited.

Which plan makes the most sense?

Prioritise trade mark and design searches in Japan and the US, settle in the contract who registers the mark, and record what was not checked.Spread the budget across a quick look at 30 countries.Let the distributor register the mark in its own name to save time.

Check your understanding

PracticePractice testSee the explanation after each question.

Pass mark: 80% — for this lesson that means every question.

Question 1 of 4A Sydney start-up holds an Australian patent for a drone mount and is about to sell it in the US.Does its own patent mean it is free to sell in the US?

Yes — a patent holder cannot infringe anyone else's patent.No — the Australian patent has no effect in the US, and others' US patents in force may still cover the product.Yes, if the product is made in Australia.

Take away

Make a grid: one row per market, one column per risk (name, design, patents, content, open source, contracts, online channels). Mark which cells were reviewed, when, and which are still empty.

Apply it to your IP

Nothing runs or is saved on its own. Each option only opens a tool when you choose it.

What this lesson cannot tell you

This lesson gives a checklist for thinking, not an opinion on freedom to operate or on your product. Assessing patents, contracts and customs procedures in each country needs a specialist there.