OEM/ODM Manufacturing Guide

How Should You Choose Between Beer ODM and OEM? The 5 Key Differences Technical Evaluators Must Understand: Formula Ownership, Process Depth, Intellectual Property, Compliance Responsibilities, and Flexibility—Avoid Pitfalls in Contract Manufacturing Decisions!

What Is Beer OEM? A Must-Read Guide for New Brands to Avoid Contract Manufacturing Pitfalls! An In-Depth Look at the Complete Beer OEM Service Process, from Recipe Development and Compliant Labeling to Flexible Minimum Order Quantities.

The core pain points of beer ODM partnerships include the factory owning the intellectual property rights to the formula, the brand owner lacking technical control, a high risk of identical products appearing on the market, unstable flavor, and the factory breaching the agreement to reproduce products for arbitrage. Unlike the OEM model, in which the brand owner controls the core technology, the brand owner is at a technical disadvantage under the ODM model. The protection of all rights and interests must therefore rely on four key systems: securing terms through a written contract, formalizing technical standards, controlling the entire process, and establishing remedies and accountability for breaches. This makes it possible to comprehensively mitigate partnership risks without relying on verbal promises. The following is a complete rights protection plan that can be implemented directly.

The Beer ODM Partnership Key Contract Terms Checklist is specifically designed for beer contract manufacturing ODM projects (covering both ready-stock ODM and customized R&D ODM). It is an essential contract module for brand owners to protect their rights, avoid pitfalls, and secure intellectual property.

Default legal rules for beer ODM: The beer formulation and brewing process are developed by the factory. Unless otherwise agreed in a written agreement, the original ownership of the intellectual property rights to the formulation belongs to the brewery. The brand owner naturally holds only the rights to its own trademark and to purchase and sell finished products. Compared with OEM, the brand owner is inherently at a technological disadvantage. The protection of all rights and interests cannot rely on verbal promises; it must be implemented through an integrated system of written contracts, process control, and evidence retention.