“Misleading business practices are a scourge of the industry,” says Herman Miller CEO Brian Walker. “They negatively impact the entire category by confusing and frustrating customers and consumers, and damaging the brands and reputations of companies like Herman Miller and others that are committed to creating and selling authentic, innovative, high-quality products that last for generations.” The company filed a motion to protect against improper marketing and sales of products like the Aeron office chair, designed by Donald Chadwick and William Stumpf in 1992 and seen here.
Knockoffs are a major problem in the design industry. While it might be easy to write off the issue as a case of "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," we're firm believers in supporting original design and the designers and brands the push the industry forward.
Today, furniture manufacturer Herman Miller announced they'd filed a motion against a company called Madison Seating for unauthorized use of its trademarks and improper marketing and sales of Herman Miller products, including the iconic Aeron chair. “Herman Miller vigorously supports our strong global brand to ensure that the products our consumers purchase exceed their expectations for quality, design, and performance," CEO Brian Walker says. "We also respect—and therefore protect—the reputations of the designers who develop these products, as well as our employees who take great pride in the products they make.”
The move is just the latest example of major brands taking legal action to protect their trademarks. Click through to see what design insiders have said about the issue in conversation with Dwell.
