For those of you that follow Rachael Taylor’s blog and her social media channels, you will be aware that Rachael is an official member of the official ACID Advisory Council. Lead by CEO Dids Macdonald, OBE and her team, ACID have shown incredible support throughout Rachael’s own career, standing by her during her own legal battles (including the highly publicised battles against one of the UK’s largest retailers).
If you’re a designer who is concerned about copying in design, be sure to know your intellectual property rights! Head over to the ACID website for more information about protecting your work and knowing when and how to take action!
“ACID (Anti Copying In Design) is a membership organisation, committed to raising awareness about intellectual property within the creative industries. Creating a safer trading environment for members is a priority by encouraging respect for intellectual property within corporate social responsibility. By encouraging design talent we help our members protect their livelihoods to maximise grown. ACID’s powerful logo is not only a real symbol of deterrence, but also reflects a positive voice for IP creation”.
The National Trust has recently joined Anti Copying in Design (ACID), to lend their support to the organisation’s mission of encouraging original design work. ACID is the leading UK and IP membership and campaigning body committed to raising awareness and encouraging respect for IP.
With more than 300 stores and an online shop, the National Trust’s retail range is an important income generator, funding the work the conservation charity undertakes to protect the special places in its care. Their intellectual capital, of which intellectual property plays a key role, is paramount.
Releasing four collections a year, the National Trust’s in-house designers seek inspiration from the range of properties and the natural environment, in the charity’s care. Each print is unique to the charity and represents national treasures that are being preserved for everyone to enjoy.
Dids Macdonald, OBE., CEO of ACID, commenting on the National Trust joining ACID said, “We are delighted that National Trust is supporting Anti Copying in Design not only to help protect their own in-house designs but as advocates of the original design of others. From writers to fabric designers, photographers to painters, the protection of their intellectual property is paramount.”
Laura Vincent, Senior Retail Designer for the National Trust said, “It is so important to us as a design team to know that our original and authentic prints are protected. So much research and time goes into sourcing the locations to inspire our designs, developing the print and in capturing the unique stories behind them. It is important that organisations like ACID can help ensure the authenticity of connection to our charitable activities is protected.”
Anti Copying in Design (ACID) has been supporting designers for over twenty years and has advised thousands of innovative design creators on how best to protect their designs to achieve growth. ACID has a significant track record of thousands of settlements and has completed over 4000 mediations. ACID is also the UK’s leading Design & Intellectual Property campaigning group. Most notable amongst its achievements was the IP ACT 2014, when the intentional infringement of a registered design became a crime. The organisation’s objectives remain the same as when it was co-founded by the current CEO, Dids Macdonald, OBE; education and awareness, prevention against infringement, deterrence with the use of the strong Anti Copying in Design logo, support if IP is infringed and campaigning to effect design law reform.
