(FORTUNE Small Business) – If you make, or even use, anti-terrorism equipment--flashlights, say, or office lamps for keeping your security guards awake or walkie-talkies--the government is now offering to protect you from the possibility of any class-action lawsuits that result from a terrorist act. Absurd as that may sound, it's part of the "Safety" Act (it sort of stands for Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies), a bill passed by Congress in July. Companies have to register, but entrepreneurs will find that the law is so broadly written that a whole gamut of unexpected products are covered, says Jacob Pankowski, a lawyer at Nixon Peabody, based in Washington, D.C., who guides businesses through the process. The government has begun accepting applications, and thousands of small businesses are already filling out paperwork. There's more than just liability at stake. "It's a wonderful marketing opportunity for small businesses," says Pankowski. "The Safety Act designation is like the seal of Good Housekeeping." --N.S.