84 The UK design industry is the golden thread running through the UK’s creative economy, spanning sectors as diverse as fashion, furniture, and the ever-popular greetings cards and giftware market. However, for many lone designers, micro-businesses, and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), protecting their intellectual property (IP) against imitation or outright copying remains an ongoing challenge. Anti Copying in Design (ACID), a longstanding advocate for design rights reform, has emphasised the need for a review of the UK’s legal framework governing IP protection. With a forthcoming government consultation early in 2025 on this issue, the stakes for designers – particularly in the context of greetings cards and giftware – could not be higher. Imitation isn’t flattery if it costs you your livelihood For the UK’s talented greetings cards and giftware sector designers it is vital that the current creative outlet and commercial arena is not compromised. Innovative giftware products often rely on unique, and unusual designs to capture consumer attention in a competitive market. However, this reliance on distinct aesthetics also makes designers vulnerable to copying—whether on global online marketplaces, by overseas manufacturers, larger companies, or even competitors within the A critical consultation ACID Co-Founder and Chairman, Dids Macdonald, looks at the incoming government consultation on design and intellectual property: a critical step for UK designers of the greetings cards and giftware sectors
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=