Yesterday Tim Clark emailed and called to tell me Design Within Reach is marketing a knock-off of my Bowback Bench (See:http://www.jasbecker.com/bench.html to view the original.) Tim indicated thatDesign Within Reach presents itself as dealing with designers in an effort to present their product to a wider audience at a better price. In this case they succeeded in all but the first criteria. I called around to a lawyer friend and David Moser (Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers) to see what if anything I can do about it. Initial impressions are that I cannot do much legally, because I don,t have a patent. I was wondering if anyone has any ideas as what I might do to either persuade the company to stop or to pay me a commission on sales?
On a lighter note I would like to present the latest and largest addition to my Ming Shaker line of furniture, the office hutch pictured here to the left. The hutch pictured is 6 feet wide by 7 feet high by 21 inches deep. It is made of cherry with birdseye maple accents. It was a custom order but I would be happy to duplicate or modify the design and make another. Call for pricing: 802-295-7004. The photo has not yet. been posted to my website.
Jim,
Harden Furniture once copied my chair.(about 12 years ago) I am not usually very litigious, but a local law firm took it on to stop them (I guess they got paid for the work)and they were forced to donate the remaining 1-200 to a local club. I think it was Vitt and something in Norwich. I will do more research and they may be able to help now that they have their furniture jaws sharpened.
Charlie