A Perth furniture firm is celebrating a legal victory over an English rival which copied its designs.
Core Products has successfully taken action against Rotherham-based Mercers Furniture Limited.
The Fair City firm said Mercers replicated items from its Augusta collection of bedroom and downstairs furniture.
The range blends real wood with an antique wax finish with distinctive hairpin legs.
The items copied were a bedside cabinet, chests of drawers, a wardrobe, a coffee table, a flat-screen TV unit and sideboards.
Legal victory for Core Products
Core Products has operated in Perth for more than 35 years and counts B&Q and The Range among its customers.
Between its head office in Arran Road and warehouse in Glenrothes is has 22 staff.
Director Mary Wallace said the Perth firm had to protect its designs.
She said: “We are proud of our heritage designing and developing furniture which has been specifically tailored to appeal to UK consumers.
“It is thanks to 35 years of experience that we can develop the pieces we sell. We strongly feel the integrity of our products should be protected.
“This settlement reflects our commitment to this.”
Ms Wallace, who is also the majority shareholder in Perth stationery and printing firm Danscot, said the Augusta range is manufactured in Brazil.
She said a different factory in Brazil had copied the design.
“We became of the Mercers issue two years ago so it has taken some time to resolve,” she said.
“Our Augusta range is very popular with its metal legs and clean style.
“We have a fairly decent amount of protection regarding our copyright but it’s only when products hit the UK that we pick it up.
“In this case it has cost Mercers money because they’ve had to give us the stock and pay a penalty.”
Terms of legal settlement
Core Products engaged intellectual property specialists Taylors Solicitors to take action against Mercers Furniture Limited and its director Richard Mercer in the dispute.
The English firm has agreed to not manufacture, hold or sell the copied products.
In addition, it will deliver any remaining stock to Core Products’ warehouse in Glenrothes to be destroyed.
It will also retrieve stock from trade buyers, destroy materials and plans used in their creation and pay a contribution towards Core Products’ legal costs.
Copyright expert on victory
It is not the first time Core Products has had to take legal action to protect its designs.
Taylors also represented the firm in a dual case against retailers VidaXL Marketplace Limited and HBI Commerce Limited last year. This was also successfully settled.
Tony Catterall, Taylors’ head of intellectual property, and IP lawyer Rebecca Horne led the team which acted for Core Products.
Mr Catterall said: “The Augusta collection is an important and successful range for Core Products, a company which spends a lot of money on the design and creation of its furniture. Its products deserve to be protected against copying.
“We are delighted to have once again assisted the company in protecting its intellectual property against infringers.
“Our success demonstrates that those who seek shortcuts to success by copying successful designs will pay a heavy price.
“We hope these two examples show others that are thinking of infringing Core Products’ ranges that copying will not be tolerated and that the company is willing to do what it takes to shield their brand.”
Mercers Furniture Limited was asked to comment.
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