Am I able to use another companies product to make my own?

**aim_high** · 02-17-2008 04:26 PM

Lets say that I have a food product that I want to sell to stores, etc. Am I able to use another companies product in mine? Do I have to make an agreement with them , etc? To first test the waters for my product, would it be best to speak to a small grocery store and ask them if I could keep my product in their store for a week or so and that they can keep the profits?

Thanks

**BusinessAdviser** · 02-17-2008 04:31 PM

To get a useful response, you probably need to provide more information as to what you are proposing to do exactly.

**aim_high** · 02-17-2008 05:24 PM

ok. heres a made up scenario.

i want to make my own breakfast cereal in an attempt to sell to major grocery stores. lets say that im going to make peanut butter rice crispies. the rice crispies are the brand name. would i have to make an agreement with the rice crispies company? even when im testing the products in stores, could any law suits arise from me using their product in mine without them knowing?

**ASJ** · 03-06-2008 08:42 AM

I'm not an expert by any means, but I'm sure that there is some law for that. I don't think it would be a patent -since there are generic brand versions, but maybe a trademark law. You'd need to talk to a lawyer. I think you'd almost be better off trying to license the idea with a cereal company. I would think that you could create your own "flavor" using their brand, do focus group testing of some sort to get quantifiable information, then bring that to a company and try to license the idea.

Just a thought.