Service
Private label without giving your product away.
Custom packaging, custom moulds, and branded products — with a defensible IP-protection workflow refined over a decade, from NNN agreements to mould ownership.
The IP problem, solved in layers
The fear with private label is always the same: you pay to develop a product and the factory sells it out the back door. No single measure prevents that — a layered stack makes it uneconomic. Ours has five layers: an NNN agreement under Chinese law (not a US-style NDA, which is unenforceable there) before any spec is shared; a Chinese utility model patent on novel designs ($300–$600); Chinese trademark registration in the relevant classes; dispersed production across suppliers where the product justifies it; and contractual mould ownership with a physical-possession option.
The mould point matters more than people expect. Under Chinese commercial law, the party that paid for the tool owns it. We bake explicit ownership into the supply contract, mark the mould with your name, and can arrange third-party storage if you want physical custody outside the production factory — which is what makes switching factories a real threat instead of an empty one.
MOQs and timelines, honestly
Standard products with custom branding — your label, your packaging — start at 500–1,500 units depending on category, and launch in 6–10 weeks from PO to shipment. Custom-tooled products typically need 3,000–5,000 unit commitments to amortise the tooling and run 14–20 weeks including mould fabrication and first-article sampling. Riding on existing factory tooling shortens that.
Lower MOQs are negotiable at a modest unit-price premium — our MOQ negotiation guide covers the levers, and we run that negotiation as part of the engagement.
Packaging
Final design files come from you or your designer — we can recommend designers if you need one. We handle the production side: prototype review, print-spec validation, and bulk-production QC on the packaging itself, because retail-ready packaging fails QC more often than the products inside it.
How it works
1. NNN first
Chinese-law NNN agreement signed before any spec, drawing, or sample leaves your hands.
2. Source + tool
Factory shortlist, tooling quotes, contractual mould ownership in your name.
3. Sample + iterate
First-article samples QC'd against spec; iterate until the signed sample is right.
4. Produce + protect
Production with inline + pre-shipment QC; trademark and patent filings progressing in parallel.
What you get
- NNN agreement under Chinese law executed before spec sharing
- Supply contract with explicit mould ownership and marked tooling
- Chinese trademark (and utility-model patent where the design warrants it) filed in your name
- Retail-ready product with packaging QC'd to the same standard as the product
Go deeper
FAQs
How do you protect IP on custom designs?
Five-layer stack: NNN agreement under Chinese law before any spec sharing, Chinese utility model patent on novel designs ($300–$600), Chinese trademark registration in relevant classes, dispersed production where appropriate, and contractual mould ownership with physical possession option.
Who owns the mould?
You do — under Chinese commercial law the party that paid for the tool owns it. We bake explicit ownership into the supply contract, mark the mould with your name, and offer third-party storage if you want physical custody outside the production factory.
What's the minimum order for private label?
Varies by category. Standard product with custom branding (label, packaging) starts at 500–1,500 units. Custom-tooled products typically need 3,000–5,000 unit commitments to amortise tooling cost. We can negotiate lower MOQs at modest unit-price premium — see our MOQ negotiation guide.
How long does a private-label launch take?
Standard product + cosmetic customisation: 6–10 weeks from PO to shipment. Custom-tooled product: 14–20 weeks including mould fabrication and first-article sampling. Faster if we ride on existing factory tooling.
Do you handle packaging design too?
We coordinate packaging production and can recommend designers if needed. Final design files come from you or your designer; we handle prototype review, print-spec validation, and bulk production QC on the packaging itself.