ACID sends special IP message to Prime Minister

Accompanied by ACID members Dan Black of Black & Blum, Phyllis Cohen of Face Lace and Angus Gardner of Caroline Gardner Publishing Ltd., ACID CEO Dids Macdonald, OBE met MPs and Peers and spelt out what is needed in Brexit negotiations to ensure that UK designers do not lose out when Article 50 is triggered. Why? Because the majority of the UK’s 350,000 designers rely on unregistered UK and EU design rights and the potential loss of protection of designs in 27 other member states could be calamitous.

ACID sees Brexit as a unique opportunity to further support UK designers and for Government to introduce a new unregistered design right which mirrors EU law.  Unregistered Design Rights in the UK only offer design protection for the shape and configuration of a design, but EU unregistered rights protect a combination of colours, ornamentation, lines, texture or surface decoration as well as shape and configuration, on which thousands have relied to protect their designs.

ACID also reinforced the argument for the introduction of criminal provisions for the intentional infringement of an unregistered design right. Why? Because the vast majority of UK designers do not register design rights and rely on unregistered design rights.

Dids Macdonald OBE, CEO of ACID, said: “I am urging the Prime Minister, as a dedicated supporter and follower of design to ensure there is communicated respect, ethics and compliance of intellectual property within Corporate Social Responsibility. After all, design punches well above its weight in the UK economy and is a key driver of growth. Design must not be further eroded by unlawful copying, many of it still emanating from some of our well known retail names whose success has been built on design innovators, many of whom are ACID members.”

See a short video about the visit to Westminster and Dids Macdonald’s special plea to the Prime Minister and another on Brexit and Design.