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Change to UK Copyright Law

LC Collection Le Corbusier Perriand Jeanneret Cassina Aram The LC Collection by Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret

Repeal of Section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988 - July 28th 2016

The long-fought campaign to afford designers the same length of copyright protection that musicians and artists currently uphold in the UK is finally at an end. As of yesterday, July 28th 2016, the ‘artistic craftsmanship’ law came into effect and extends the current 25 year term of protection on furniture, lighting and jewellery designs to a term of ‘life of the creator plus 70 years’, bringing it into line with current EU-wide regulations. Thus the legacy of creators of design classics such as Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Charles & Ray Eames and Achille Castiglioni is guaranteed in this country.

Barcelona chair Saarinen table Knoll Aram Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Chair, with Eero Saarinen's eponymous side table

"Great design forms an integral part of our lives whether it be architecture, jewellery or home furnishings," wrote UK intellectual property minister Lucy Neville-Rolfe in a document announcing the decision. "Both cutting-edge designs and those that have stood the test of time continue to be in high demand and we need to ensure designers have an appropriate incentive to create."

Eames Lounge Chair LTR table RAR chair Vitra Aram Charles & Ray Eames' Lounge Chair and Ottoman, with their ESU Shelving, LTR Table and RAR Rocking Chair

The bill was officially passed in 2013 and at the point, the original commencement date of the repeal was due to be April 6th 2020 in order to give businesses affected by the change in law time to adapt. This decision was then challenged by a coalition of established design brands and designers who lobbied the UK government into expediting the process to the end of July this year.

Arco Lamp Achille Castiglioni Flos Aram The iconic Arco Lamp by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni

The government has implemented a six month cooling-off period for any affected businesses with contracts in place prior to consultation. Therefore, after January 28th 2017, anyone intentionally infringing a registered design by producing, sourcing or selling a copy that differs from an original in only immaterial respects will be committing a criminal offence.

Eileen Gray Lota Menton Bonaparte Aram Eileen Gray's designs include the Lota Sofa, Folding Screen, Menton Table and Bonaparte Chair

As worldwide licence holders for the designs of Eileen Gray, Aram Designs is more aware than most of the need to offer greater protection on intellectual property. We hope that this new development in copyright protection will help provide greater clarification for our customers on this long-standing issue and highlight the benefits of investing in licenced and authentically produced furniture.

Click this link for our guide on how to identify an original edition, now protected by law.

MYLES BROWN