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TOWHOMITMAYCONCERN,PRODUCTIVITYCOMMISSIONITELLECTUALPROPERTY//June15,2016MynameisAnne-MareeSargeant,directorofAUTHENTICDESIGNALLIANCETMIrepresentamembers-basededucationplatform–ourmembersincludeindustrialdesigners,furnituredesigners,makers,lightingdesigners,retailers,importers,interiordesigners,architects,media–journalists–bloggers,businessesandconsumers–whouniteinthesoleaim–thatfakedesignerfurnitureandlightingwillbecomeillegalinAustralia.Asasecond,butequallyimportantaim–weeducateAustraliansontheVALUEoforiginaldesign.UnlikeEurope,forexample,wheredesignisanaturallanguageamongthebroadercommunity–Australiahasadopteda‘disposabledecoratingculture’–athinkingthat–ifsomethingbreaks–throwitoutandgetanotherone.This‘landfillmentality’isunsustainable.Whateverhappento‘builttolast’?Ihaveinvestedmy30-yearcareerintheAustralianfurnitureindustry.Asectorcomprisedmostlyofindependentsmallbusinesses,who,likemyself,worktirelesslytoinnovate.WeembodyDESIGNLEDINNOVATION.Australiansinthedesignsectoraregloballysuccessfulforperpetuallythinking‘outsidethebox’–asacountrywithoutboardingneighbours–wehavearichheritageofinnovation,inventionandcreatingnewwaysofdoingthings–oftenwithoutdirectinfluenceasperhapsourEuropeancolleaguesmighthave.Inmy30-yearcareer–IhaveneverwitnessedabettertimetobeanAustralianfurniture,lightingorobjectdesigner.Ironically–neverhastherebeenaworsetimetobeanAustralianfurniture,lightingorobjectdesigner.WiththeUKcriminalizingfakedesignerfurniture(April28,2016),imposingpenaltiesofupto10yearsjail/£50,000–protectionforBritishdesignerswasextendedfrom25years–to70yearsafterthecreator’sdeath–inlinewiththeEU.ThealarmingthingabouttheDailyMAILnewsarticle(below)datedFebruary14,2016–istwofold.

1. TheUKdeemedthethreatofrippedoffdesigns–tobesodamagingtotheirowncreativeindustries–theintendedlawsoriginallyslatedfor2020(i.e.in4yearstime)wereboughtforward.Andarenowinplace.

2. ThearticlealsosparkedatypicalAustralianresponse–(referattachedFacebookcommentstream).Australians–generallynothavingadesignvocabulary–oftendonotknowwhensomethingisacopyofanoriginal.Ignoranceisahugepartoftheproblem.

Butfinallydesignnewshitfrontpageofmainstreammedia.Thisglobalproblemneedsaddressing–anditneedstobeacknowledgedthatinternationallyAustraliaisseenas‘THEWILDWESTOFFAKEDESIGNERFUNRNITURE’***DavidTrubridge/ABCradio,2015

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Tocreatealevelplayingfield–andtoenableourcreativeanddesignstarsoftomorrow–tocompeteintheglobalmarketplace–AustraliaMUSTalignwithourEuropeancounterparts.Theabsenceofa‘GRACEPERIOD’–isafurtherinhibitor.Timeover–Australiandesignerscreateaproduct–oftenneverintendingtobeaproductionitem–thentheproductbecomeshugelysuccessfulorispublished(oftenwithoutthecreator’sknowledgeonInstagramorblogs)–prohibitinganyregistrationwithinthecurrentstructureperIPAustraliaguidelines.Productdevelopment–takes2years.Maybe3or4.ButthetypicalcycleI’veexperiencedover30yearsinthefurnitureandlightingindustry(globally)–is2years.A2-yeargraceperiodisessential–allowingdesignerstomarkettesttheirdesigns.Toresearchandrefine.Andtoinvestininnovation–notcostlyshortsightedregistrationsthatsupplynegligiblereturnoninvestment–duringthecourseofwhatonehopesisalonganfruitfulcareer.Adesigncareercanlast50years.Surelythecreatorshouldbeprotectedfortheirownlifetime–ataminimum?Howwouldyoufeelifsomeonerippedoffyouroriginalidea?

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SUBSITUTABILITYRecentlyitwassuggestedwe–asanorganization–shouldconsidertheDEGREEOFSUBSTITUTABILITY.Asaprofessional(design)writer-Iwasconfusedbythis–bothinmeaning,andinpractice.Thesuggestionleadstosomethingweheartimeover–theperceptionthatdesignerfurnitureisEXPENSIVE.ToquotearguablyourgreatestlivingfurnituredesigneroutsideMarcNewson(whonowdesignsforApple,FordmotorcompanyandQantas)–ADAMGOODRUM–whocites

’It’snotexpensive.Itiswhatitcoststoproduce.Soeveryoneispaidproperly’ThisnotionofexpensiveiscoretoAustralia’slackofunderstandingoftheglobaldesignindustry.Gooddesigndoesn’tnecessarilyhavetobeexpensive.Ifyoucan’taffordaMercedesyoucanbuyaToyota.Ifyouhave$200forachair–finda$200chair.Nota$200copyofanoriginaldesign–onedestinedforlandfillin2orsoyears.Overtime–theoriginalchairwilllast–often–generations.Itischerished.Valued.Thisdisposabledecoratingculturemustend!Ifwedon’teatFastFood–andnowfeedourkidsorganicmeals-andweseeFastFashionaddressingthefalloutfromsub-standardmanufacturingpractice,inhumaneworkingconditions,thegenerationoflandfill,wasteandenvironmentalharm–surelythedesignindustrymustendFASTDESIGN?Theonlywaytodothis–istoextendourowncreativesthesameprotectiontheirEuropeancounterpartsnowenjoy.Andtocriminalizecopydesigns/ripoffsandfakesisessential.ThepracticeofAustralianbrandsrippingoffAustraliancreatorsisnowendemic.Legislationistheonlysolution.Finally–thispastweekendalone-5separateIndependentdesignstudios–haveusedthesameword.SCARED.PleasereferdesignerCOCOREYNOLDS/MARZDESIGNS–theonlydesignerabletogoonrecord.Thesebusinessesarehelmedbyanindustrialdesigngraduate&/orafurnituredesigngraduate.Allhaveemployees.Afabricationfacility.Anddesignforbignamebrands.Allarepresentlyinvolvedinexpensivelitigation.Onedesigngroup(allagedunder25yearsold)–arepaying$560andhourinIPlegalfees–andhavebeencautionedagainstcommenting–forfearofDEFAMATION.Theirlegalteamadvisedthatafellowstudentoftheirs–aftermakingacommentonsocialmedia–thatstudentwassued.Andlost.Andhadtopaythemulti-nationalcompanyinlitigation–legalfees.Thisisinsane!Isthiscultureofbigbusinessrippingofsmallcreators–thewaytoencourageDESIGNLEDINNOVATION?WelookforwardtospeakingfurtheratthePublicHearings.KindregardsAnne-MareeSargeant

DirectorAUTHENTICDESIGNALLIANCEDirectorAMSAssociatedMarketingServicesptyltd//FounderTHESNAPASSEMBLYblogJournalist,Curator,DesignCommentator,PublicSpeaker

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SOMERECENTMEDIAREPORTSONAUTHENTICDESIGNALLIANCE–re-launchhttp://www.australiandesignreview.com/news/66032-get-real-fighting-against-design-fakeshttp://www.designdaily.com.au/blog/?offset=1465253870410https://greenmagazine.com.au/authentic-design-alliance/http://theinteriorsaddict.com/fake-designer-furniture-really-hurt---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------AUSTRALIANDESIGNBRANDDESSIEN–illustratinginvestmenthttp://www.designdaily.com.au/blog/---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------NEWAUSTRALIANDESIGN–exhibitedlastweekinMelbourneatDENFAIRhttp://www.designdaily.com.au/blog/?offset=1465824526546---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SUNDAY_DAILYTELEGRAPH–editor/author/TVpresenterhttp://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/realestate/news/neale-whitaker-on-all-the-trends-from-melbournes-2016-denfair-exhibition/news-story/e94d792f75a9d4f172707750d879baa2---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2001–reportbyAnne-MareeSargeantoncopydesignshttp://theinteriorsaddict.com/anne-maree-sargeant-replica-furniture2011-reportbyDavidHarrisononcopydesignshttp://theinteriorsaddict.com/david-harrison---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ABOUT//ANNE-MAREESARGEANT– Istudieddesign(RMIT),workedasadesigner(Melbourne&London),conceivedandstartedSPACEFurniture(fortheoriginalowner)andmanagedSPACEFURNITURENSWfor10years–duringwhichIwasbrandmanagerforglobalbrandslikeB&BItalia,Cassina,Kartell,PoltronaFrauandZanotta-tonamebutafewofanextensivebrandcache.Asadesignjournalist–IhavebeencontributingtrendseditortoINSIDEOUT(10years),editoratlargeofBELLEMagazine(morethan5years),andhavebeenpublishedbyMONOCLE,SURFACEASIA,SURFACEUSAandtheSydneyMorningHerald,andmanyleadingdesigntitlesoverthecourseof25years.Asacuratoranddesignactivist–Ihaveinitiated,foundedandcuratedplatformsthatenableAustraliandesignerstoshowcasetheirwork.Amongmanyplatforms–SydneyMorningHerald(YoungDesignerofTheYear),LAUNCHPAD(forINDESIGNGroup)–whichIprojectmanagedfor5years,NESTfordesignEX(4years),andrecentlyID.xTHESNAP–myownindependentdesignershowcase–exhibiting20AustralianbrandsatMelbourneTradeFairDENFAIR.LastOctoberIcuratedandproducedMELBOURNELIGHTSUP!xTHESNAPfortheDUBAIDESIGNWEEK–showcasing3Melbournelightingbrands–theinstallationpraisedbyinternationalmediaincludingWallpaper*Magazine,anddesignblogsDEZEENandYATZER(bothhavemorethan1millionreadersmonthly.Aregularattendeeofglobaldesignfestivals,IfirstattendedMilanDesignWeekinthelate1980’s.//END---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------