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I'm planning to make an electronic toy for kids. I was wondering if I'm allowed to sell it if I decide to mass produce.

I'm guessing electronics goes under some kind of safety license. The voltage should be max. 12V but I'd like to use a transformer that connects to the standard plug (110V). With this, there might be some safety consequences.

I will probably ask some company to mass produce. Who will take the liability in case something happens to people? What are my chance to sell my product legally and under the seller protection? Is there too much bureaucracy and I should just forget it or is there some good and easy way to proceed?

I've done some research but haven't found much. This is the reason why I posted here. I'm in the USA. Ok, I also discovered this.

The cost of the certifications are in tens of thousands. That is very discouraging. So my question now would be: Will Intertec cover all of my certification under the US law?

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Grasper
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    What research have you done? What country are you in? Why would you not be allowed to sell it? Why would you let bureaucracy get in your way? And when did toy safety become a matter of bureaucracy? It is something you should take very seriously indeed. – PaulD Sep 08 '16 at 23:36
  • @PaulD, I edited my question. I'd like to be at least directed to some page or resources where I could find out more about the matter. The rest of your why questions can be answered simply because I don't own appropriate licenses. – Grasper Sep 09 '16 at 12:31
  • This is more a legal & certification matter. Maybe you can have a proper consultancy from a legal office or a specialized professional. Try to contact category association like for example http://www.toyassociation.org or similar. Good luck. – Mario Sep 09 '16 at 12:46
  • @Mario, if I would have money to get a lawyer services, I wouldn't want to sell anything. – Grasper Sep 09 '16 at 13:15
  • @Grasper Then you should follow PaulD suggestions, protect your idea with patent or similar, then find an investor or producer that will pay you a percentage on the sold products. – Mario Sep 09 '16 at 13:55
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because this has nothing to do with freelancing. – Xavier J Sep 09 '16 at 14:44

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You could start by looking for toy safety legislation. A good starting point is wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_safety

Then you can look into the whole issue of manufacturing an idea into a product: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/77962

Then you can take a look into liability: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/product-liability-and-safety-law

All three links of fantastic content were found by using the first result of a Bing search. You can do similar searches for product funding, product development, design inspirations etc. The internet is mankinds most incredible source of virtually all and any information.

Should you go ahead and have further questions, you can post them here, or over at https://startups.stackexchange.com/

Hope that helps. If you have an idea, follow it through. The world is waiting...

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PaulD
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  • If you keep editing your question to ask something different then it makes our answers look at odds with the question :-( – PaulD Sep 09 '16 at 13:03
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    Thanks for your answer. From what I read it is a very discouraging process and not sure if it's worth it. Originally I wanted to make it for myself only but I realized the potential it could have. But without already being a millionaire this might be pretty difficult. – Grasper Sep 09 '16 at 13:08
  • No, don't give up on it. No hassle approach: Make a good prototype, identify a manufacturer that makes similar things already, get a meeting with their product development team, get a standard NDA, get a patent pending if required (not too expensive, do it yourself if you have to), then present it to them and ask for a minimal licensing fee. They run with it and you get paid is the plan. Imagine how you would feel seeing your idea pop onto the market in the future and sell in the millions. You would forever be kicking yourself. – PaulD Sep 09 '16 at 13:14
  • Or again, first result of bing: https://idea.davison.com/?source_id=1439 There are organizations that can help, take the risk and contact one. – PaulD Sep 09 '16 at 13:15
  • how much can I trust these companies that help with ideas? I read bad reviews about denying and stealing it. – Grasper Sep 09 '16 at 13:18
  • Hmm. Cant say. But if you are going to give up anyway, you can contact them, read their terms and conditions, and take the risk. They will do all the work for a good idea and you will get a tiny slice, but a tiny slice of a big cake is better than no cake, surely. – PaulD Sep 09 '16 at 13:19
  • ok, Thanks. I'm also reading https://www.consumeraffairs.com/business/davison-com.html – Grasper Sep 09 '16 at 13:22
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    Last comment on this but, I am not recommending that company. I am saying there are organizations or people that can help. Reading your link I would probably not use them, but that was link 1 on page 1 of a search. Find an inventors forum, dig around a bit. It could be fun. Ultimately present your idea to a real manufacturer, not a consultancy. I am just saying do not give up. Good ideas are rare, and if you found your invention useful, so will others, I assure you. – PaulD Sep 09 '16 at 13:27