Informal Entry and license on copy right

Re: [spiers] Informal Entry and license on copy right

Hi John,
Would you please advice the step:
what kind of license & where I need to apply for to start
the small importing business?
Do I need to know specific at first what product to
import in order to apply for a license?
As one business license, can I import different type of goods , product ...

Thanks
Tim
----- Original Message -----
From:
To:
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2003 2:12 AM
Subject: Re: [spiers] Informal Entry and license on copy right


>
> In a message dated 5/22/03 1:52:57 AM, fhgu@netzero.net writes:
>
> <entry.
> My understanding is that if the shipment is under $2000 and shipped
directly
> to my home then I would not have to use a custom broker. Does it have to
be
> via air freight? Or it could be via surface as long as the shipment is
coming to
> my home.
>
> ***$2K per conveyance, so it can be trucked or boat or plane, what ever
you
> like...***
>
> I am dealing with candy here, one of the product lines this SE Asia
> manufacture has is candy wrapped or shaped in a well-done Japanese cartoon
character.
> The sales director told me that they are authorized and licensee by the
> Japanese media production company. And that every candy I buy from them,
royalty is
> calculated into the total price. The Japanese media production company has
also
> trade marked the character here in the US. Now, will I have trouble
importing
> and selling these candy in the US? If I apply the idea of "importer as
> manufacture" then I think I will need to obtain license from the Japanese
company,
> but I don't really make them and I am paying royalty already when buying
from
> the manufacture. Any idea?>>
>
>
> ***Aha, this is where the customsbroker you seek t avoid comes in... they
can
> tell you what documentation you need, and as for all that, better safe
than
> sorry. What is your goal? To import these... then get all your info from
the
> customs broker, but for initial samples just have them sent to your house,
why
> waste the brokers talent on an informal entry?
>
> There is another problem that concerns me though... you describe a classic
> "off-the-shelf" item. Say it is popular, and you do well with it, it is
only a
> matter of time that somebody prefers what appears to be your profits
rather
> than what they know to be their own.
>
> Say someone is struggling in the biz eeking out $25,000 per year, and
> believes you are making $50,000 per year. He will come after you, and you
will have
> to cut your prices to survive. This is just one scenario when dealing in
> off-the-shelf items.
>
> Now here is the problem: to get where people notice you, you have to
> reinvest your profits, meaning WHEN they steal your idea, you no longer
have a means
> to recoup your investment, and don't. I suspect this is a source for many
> peoples idea that importing is a matter of finding something cool overseas
and
> making a killing. Outsiders assume that since someone has an office and
space
> at a trade show, and travels, they must be doing very well indeed.
Perhaps,
> but whatever they are making is going into the company the first few
years... it
> is the longevity where these biz pay off.
>
> With 30 years experience, I've seen countless examples of this... people
who
> were on the cover of Inc. magazine for the wonderful biz they had, only to
be
> gone within a year or so.
>
> Competing with existiing products is like having a restaurant where your
most
> used tool is the can opener... people will catch on and lose interest.
But
> you still have the expense of the restaurant itself.
>
> If you are into candy action figures, shouldn't develop your own?
>
> John

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