New changes to UK copyright law will see iconic and influential pieces of design receive a greater level of protection. With the repeal of a section of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, designs such as the iconic Eames Lounge Chair will benefit from copyright protection until 70 years after the designer dies.
(Image credit: Herman Miller)
This change in the law means that from January 2017, fake replicas of iconic products will no longer be allowed to be produced or sold in the UK. To qualify for protection, 3D designs must be deemed “works of artistic craftsmanship”, meaning there could be significant contention not only regarding what constitutes a replica, but also what constitutes ‘artistic craftsmanship’. 2016 has already seen one potentially landmark case, when the wildly successful Trunki children’s suitcases were not deemed unique enough to be able to claim copyright on the concept.
(Banner image credit: voga.com)