YPIE Tour Blog Day One: ACID & Not on the High Street

Craig Thurston of Howdens and delegate on the Young Professionals Industry Experience tour gives us an insight into the first day’s workshops with Anti Copying In Design (ACID) and etailer Notonthehighstreet.com.

Day Overview

The whole session from ACID gave an introduction into their company background and the benefits they give to designers and the furniture industry as a whole. The session encompassed a number of solicitors giving us an overview of their professional experiences within intellectual property (IP) law and rights.

Our session with Not on the High street gave us a brief insight into their company profile and business model, which empowers small businesses and individuals to create novel new designs and bring them to market.

Learning Outcomes

The Trunki case gave an interesting insight into IP and how to effectively protect your ideas from future copying. While the designer had protected their design on the Design Register, the different types of drawings used left room for interpretation. This case has shown that it is imperative to register line drawings as well as CAD models to have complete design ownership. The examples given today of IP law will prove invaluable.

Hearing about Not On The High Street’s business model, with its large product portfolio and over 5,000 small suppliers, gave an interesting insight into an innovative business that represents numerous small businesses/individuals from across the country.

The day has definitely made us aware of the various aspects of IP and the different types of protection. An interesting point was raised with freelance designers working for a company – has a license agreement been drawn stating who owns the IP?

It was fascinating to hear from an online retailer such as Not on the High Street, which has a large product portfolio, and how they manage and market this. It was a stark comparison to business that carries stock like Howdens, where products are tested and marketed under their own brand, highlighting the different approaches to business models.

Check back tomorrow when we’ll have a blog about the group’s trip to retailer Fishpools and trade show organiser UBM.