28 March 2024, 13:15
By Furniture News Mar 01, 2019

Baa Stool secures copycat settlement

Anti Copying in Design (ACID) member Baa Stool has received a signed undertaking against Sweden's Wooden Horse Company for infringing its intellectual property.

When Baa Stool discovered the copy of their design, they took immediate action and instructed ACID legal affiliates McDaniel & Co to write a letter before action setting out their claim. Shortly afterwards, Baa Stool received a signed undertaking from the infringing company, which has undertaken not to make, import, sell or offer for sale the infringing article.

This outcome was reached without the need for a hearing or long drawn-out and time-consuming legal correspondence.

Kelly Hudson, a director of McDaniel & Co, acting for Baa Stool, says: “Knowing the sector, and from a perspective of many years dealing with design-led IP infringement, it was clear that this was an infringement and, armed with all the facts and evidence, I created an effective letter before action which resulted in an early settlement for Baa Stool. Job done!”

Baa Stool owner Michelle Bartleet-Greavey comments: “Discovering a copied design can not only be deeply upsetting but can have such a negative financial impact on a company like ours. I pursued this not only to get a result but to demonstrate that our message is crystal clear – do not copy us, because we will take the necessary legal action to defend our IP rights.”

ACID CEO Dids Macdonald, OBE, adds: “Acting promptly and obtaining the correct legal advice can be crucial to turning the situation around and getting a positive result. Publishing a successful settlement actively promotes a company’s proactive IP strategy.”

Above: Baa Stool's design

Above: The Wooden Horse Company's product

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