The Door Hardware & Access Control Group, a business unit of ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland, has released a new white paper. It covers the misleading key copy protection claims made by many cylinder lock suppliers. Titled โDispelling the Myth: Misleading Claims Around Key Copy Protectionโ, the latest ASSA ABLOY white paper can be downloaded for free.
The paper provides a guide to understanding intellectual property for products, covering trademarks, design registrations and patents. It goes on to discuss the myths, and the steps that must be taken to ensure a system has the correct protection in place so keys cannot be copied. The paper also gives an example of when one partyโs claims around a trademark on a key profile was challenged, the outcome, and the wider implications for the industry and those seeking a reliable and secure cylinder lock.
Paul Johnson, Director of Business Development at ASSA ABLOY Door Hardware & Access Control, says: โWhen investing in a new master key cylinder system, one critical aspect that many people tend to overlook is the availability of additional keys. Worryingly, if systems are not patent protected, extra keys can be legally obtained without the ownerโs knowledge and permission โ a fact that many people are unaware of.
โIn this new white paper, we dispel the myths around partiesโ claims of so-called โlifelong trademark protection on key profilesโ and the impact this has on key copying, when compared with legally enforceable patent protection. Offering a clear and practical approach to tackling this issue, we hope those considering investing in a new patented master key cylinder system find our latest white paper useful, helping to protect sites and people against a security risk that they may not yet know about.โ
To download the white paper visit www.assaabloyopeningsolutions.co.uk/keycopywhitepaper.
