Fake goods and lax laws cost furniture business dear
A Manchester-based furniture supplier claims it
is losing tens of thousands of pounds of business to cheap imports because of lax copyright laws.
Castlefield-based Ralph Capper Interiors Ltd is calling on the government to increase protection for designers to stop copies of design classics being sold in the UK.
It is so determined to have its voice heard that it has lodged a petition on the 10 Downing Street website, which has so far attracted 500 signatories including renowned British furniture designer Simon Pengelly.
Unlike some European countries the current “design right†laws, to prevent copying, only protect original designs for 25 years after the furniture is first registered.
By contrast laws in Germany, Switzerland and Denmark protect the work for 70 years after the designer’s death. Although tough copyright laws are in place to protect music, books and films in the UK very few furniture designs obtain copyright, which offers higher protection.
This is because the courts, through precedent, have set tough artistic criteria to be met.
The current laws therefore mean that furniture older than 25 years can legally be copied and imported into the UK.
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