ACID to release Brexit Position Paper

Design & IP campaigning body Anti Copying in Design (ACID) has completed a survey, the results of which will form the basis of a design sector Brexit Position Paper.

Following case study evidence submitted to the UK Intellectual Property Office and the requirement for further analysis of the Brexit & IP issues that UK lone micro and SME designers face, most interesting of the results were the following:

• 100% were unanimous post Brexit, if they lose EU Community design protection they want a new UK unregistered design created that will mirror EU protection and last 15 instead of 3 years (similar to current UDR) but also give protection for a combination of lines, contours, shape, ornamentation, colour, texture, materials, similar to EU UDR
• 90% think that copying in intentional
• 99% were slightly concerned to very concerned about the potential loss of EU unregistered and EU registered design protection in 27 other member states

ACID is calling for the need to preserve the EU Unregistered and Registered Designs Rights post Brexit and is continuing to press Government for the need to introduce criminal provisions for infringement of UK Unregistered Design Right to act as a real deterrent against copying.

Nick Kounoupias, ACID’s chief counsel, said: “Lone, micro and SME designers who rely on unregistered design rights face a potentially calamitous situation if EU Unregistered Design rights are not preserved.”

ACID CEO Dids Macdonald OBE., said: “It comes as no surprise that there is a great deal of uncertainty among designers and above all we want to ensure that this very important subject is kept on high radar with government.”