Triclimb Designer:
Never in a million years did I think I’d be here. Never in a million years would I want to be here! I’d rather hide in the background covered in sawdust working on a new product, but I have a voice and it needs to be heard.
I was recently given for the second time a further enormous privilege by ACID. That was to be part of a round table discussion on the latest Intellectual Property Office Calls for Views on Design IP, jointly hosted by the Design Council and ACID. One of just three ACID members selected to share a succinct (the hardest bit!) account of our recent IP infringement experiences.
I love working on new products, it’s who I am! However, the time, effort and energy that goes into the process is pointless if that hard work is so easily stolen with others profiting from it. IP infringement is stealing and it doesn’t just cost sales, it cost real people their jobs.
Ultimately there is no help, no real protection for the small, lone, micro or SME designer/business when pitted against the big boys! We need help to save British innovation, we need help to support local manufacturing. We need help to save local jobs. We need help to be free to innovate.
What we need is on-the-ground protection, assurance and a system that works. We need to be confident to create designs and know we won’t have to spend our lives, and our profits, fighting to defend them whilst suffering the effects of the bullying tactics of David and Goliath fights – where deep pockets are essential.
