Upcycling : A new lead for new IP's

Recently, an article on Upcycling in The Times of India caught my eye. It was interesting and inspiring. Upcycling is a new and better way to treat trash and waste. It is nothing but upgrading the junk into new and useable products. In other words, reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original.

Having explained what Upcycling is, my concern is regarding the immense potential for generation of Intellectual Property that Upcycling offers.

"The opportunity to upcycle trash, or turn it into new products, is vast"

Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless and/or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value. By Upcycling a waste product, you are giving it a new identity; for example waste water bottles, soft drink bottles, empty jam jars, old fabric etc., can be made into completely new products with no trace of the earlier identity.     

This new products are new intellectual property created and shall be protected using different intellectual property rights. One of the industries where Upcycling is common is fashion industry and interior décor. Mostly such products exhibit artistic craftsmanship. Therefore, qualify for protection under copyright law. Moreover, if a business is started naturally trademarks and branding come into play. Sometimes even a design registration of a product is possible.

Should Upcycling be taken seriously, revenue is sure to come. The potential for developing without any major investment is what is lucrative in this field. This justifies that age-old proverb “Old is Gold”. Turn your old stuff into Gold by creating different Intellectual Property.