panies can currently sell replica goods providing 25 years has passed from the date the item originally went on sale, but a new EU ruling has extended that period to 70 years.Businesses which sell replica furniture could become liable to a potential fine of up to £50,000, and a custodial sentence of up to ten years. An EU ruling means that furniture replicas will be banned under copyright laws. Versions of the Eames chair (pictured) are currently available for less than £500, but people will soon have to pay £5,000 for an original Can you tell the difference? Cheap versions like the one on the left will be banned when the law is imposed, bringing the £1,200 Castiglioni design (right) back into copyrightThe ruling will appease designers who see their work recreated by high street chains at a fraction of the price, but homeowners will have to pay much more for fashionable furniture. Versions of the Eames chair are currently available for less than £500, but these copies will be banned, meaning people would have to pay £5,000 for an original.
Other iconic designs which will come into copyright include the Egg chair by Arne Jacobsen and the Barcelona Chair by Mies van der Rohe.A £250 replica Arco Floor lamp, like one owned by David and Samantha Cameron, would be taken off the shelves and the PM would have to pay £1,200 for an authentic product.The coalition government's decision to repeal Section 52 of the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988, as part of the the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013, was expected to be implemented in 2020, to give companies affected time to adapt.However, a legal challenge has forced the government to fast track it to April 28 this year. This is despite complaints the short period would cause 'disproportionate harm'.Companies will have six months to sell their stock from this date.The changes have been backed by the likes of Sir Terence Conran and Vitra, a Swiss-based company which is licensed to produce many of these classic designs. Other iconic designs which will come into copyright include the Egg chair (left) by Arne Jacobsen and the Barcelona Chair by Mies van der RoheTony Ash, Vitra UK managing director, said: 'We are very pleased with the change.
Vitra's view is that if a law is changed for sound, logical, legal reasons, why wait another five years to enforce it?'We merely wanted the UK to conform to EU laws as quickly as possible after the government agreed that EU IP laws had to be adhered to in the UK.'The originals that we stand for are certainly superior to a copy. A design classic has a history and an added emotional value.' Professor Lionel Bently, an intellectual property expert at Cambridge University, is one of a number of legal academics who are critical of the change.He said: 'The repeal of section 52 was targeted at those who produce replicas of classic furniture but lots of other interests are in fact going to be affected by it.'Companies which publish design books may have to get numerous licences to reproduce photos because designs have come under copyright.'Even with respect to replica furniture makers, importers and sellers, the process has been far from satisfactory. The Government has flip-flopped over the length of the proposed transitional period from five years to six month for fear of being sued.'They are scared of being sued and that seems to be a strange way to go about determining appropriate and proportionate protection of the established property rights and legitimate expectations of third parties.'
ARCO FLOOR LAMP BY ACHILLE & PIER GIACOMO CASTIGLIONI Replicas can currently be bought for between £150 and £250An authentic lamp first produced by Flos in 1962 will now cost around £1,400.Pier Giacomo Castiglioni died in 1968Will now be under copyright until 2038 BARCELONA CHAIR WITH OTTOMAN BY LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROCHE Replicas can currently be bought for around £500An authentic chair and ottoman made by Knoll, licensed in 1929, will cost around £5,700Ludwig Mies van der Rohe died in 1969Will now be under copyright until 2039 EAMES LOUNGE CHAIR BY CHARLES AND RAY EAMES Replicas of the chair licensed in 1956 can be bought from around £279An authentic chair made by Vitra will cost from £3,390Ray Eames died in 1988Will now be under copyright until 2058 THE ORIGINAL 'EGG' CHAIR BY ARNE JACOBSEN Replicas of the model, first patented in 1952, can be bought from £329An authentic chair made by Conran will cost around £5,000Arne Jacobsen died in 1971Will now be under copyright until 2041
Expired Copyright Homeware Organisation, a campaign group, has called on the government to postpone the changes until 2020.Ivan Macquisten, ECHO campaign adviser, said: 'While ECHO members have been aware for some time of the threat to their livelihoods, others affected are only just waking up to the far-reaching consequences of this law change. 'Many of those whose businesses are at risk, as well as important cultural institutions and the consumer, have no idea of what is about to hit them.'At this late stage it is not too late to avert disaster, and we appeal to the Secretary of State, who has been extremely sympathetic to the case we have put forward, to do the sensible thing.'A spokesperson for the Intellectual Property Office said: 'Changes are being made to copyright law to bring copyright protection for works of artistic craftsmanship into line with other artistic creations like paintings and sculptures. It is important that creators are rewarded for their work.'Initially the government felt that five years was an appropriate time to allow the change in law, however after reviewing this decision in light of a legal challenge, the government now believes a short transitional period is more appropriate.'
ANTIQUE BENTWOOD CHAIR by GEORGE JACOB HUNZINGER of NEW YORK SIGNED 1869 eraAs of this weekend, it is against the law in the UK for furniture dealers to sell replicas of iconic pieces. Say goodbye to cheap imitations of such classics as Arne Jacobsen’s Egg chair, the plastic S chair by Verner Panton, and the Eames range. The copyright rules expire 70 years after the designer’s death, which leaves lovers of midcentury pieces with several decades still to wait for knock-off versions. Buying the authentic pieces themselves – or others from the same era – doesn’t have to cost a fortune, though. Savvy shoppers are rising to the challenge of finding true unadulterated originals at a fraction of the price. has seen a 30 per cent annual increase in the number of active searches specifically for retro furniture. “In the past, many people bought second-hand furniture because it was all they could afford, but now they search for these heritage designers to buy one-of-a-kind, sophisticatedly designed pieces, crafted from high-quality materials, making a good investment for the future.”
The pieces remain affordable, though. A Fifties lounge chair with its original green mottled fabric, which was listed with an estimated price of £20 to £40, sold for just £1. Even after adding the buyer’s premium – usually around 10 to 20 per cent of the hammer price, plus VAT – it’s still a genuine steal. A Danish teak bureau with an estimated price of up to £100 was snapped up for £20, while a classic red leather wingback lounge chair on an aluminium five-star swivel base sold for £30, well below its £80 estimate. These days, most vintage and retro retailers have an online shop as well as (or instead of) a showroom, with new stock posted every day, so you don’t even have to pound the streets to find the perfect addition to your home. Browsing online is a good way to get a feel for prices and quality before parting with your cash. You can also set up alerts to be notified after an auction how much an item eventually sold for. Sandrine Zhang Ferron left investment banking to start Vinterior, a curated online marketplace selling vintage and design furniture, after she spent three months traipsing around shops and scouring eBay and Gumtree to furnish her home.
“The online photographs were really bad, and you had to take a chance with the seller and the real condition of the furniture,” she says. It also frustrated her that the listing rarely included information about the history of the item. Vinterior showcases 6,000 items of stock hand-picked from professional dealers and interior designers who know the provenance of each piece. The details usually include the condition, country of origin, and manufacturer, often with a stamp to prove it. Prices start under £100 and delivery is available worldwide (vinterior.co). The available items change from day to day, but recent stock includes six bar tables by Benchairs of Somerset in beech and Formica, from the Seventies, priced at £75 each, which were previously owned by the Central London Masonic Centre. The website also featured an iconic Nucleus leather armchair on a chrome base, from the Sixties or Seventies, by British manufacturer Tetrad, suppliers to Harrods and Heal’s, for £380.
The chair has recently been reissued by the company in Harris Tweed for around £900. “People are bored by contemporary furniture, where they all end up owning the same thing,” says Zhang Ferron. “Ikea is convenient and fairly priced, but people are looking for craftsmanship, quirky pieces and longevity, regardless of their budget – although, even the wealthy like a bargain.” As well as the design pedigree of these items, they have an added charm from the fact that they have been cared for and preserved by a previous generation. Understated, well-made, practical furniture from brands such as G Plan, Ercol and Parker Knoll can create a statement in any room – and become a family heirloom worthy of being passed on to another generation. This is partly why there has been a rise in interest for pieces of local history, Zhang Ferron adds. “Mid-century furniture from the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies is very popular from Scandinavia, Italy and France – but increasingly buyers are looking for British-made products.”