The first few months of 2015 have seen the the Halo Group (including Halo Creative & Design Ltd, Halo Trademarks Ltd, Halo Furnishings Ltd and Halo International Holdings Ltd, together Halo) agree settlement terms with the Chinese company Foshan Shunde Ronghe Trade Co, Ltd (Ronghe), which was copying many of Halo’s designs, most notably the Tom Cat Chair and the Mars Chair. Ronghe has confirmed that it will cease manufacturing, selling and offering for sale certain products which infringe Halo’s registered design rights in China, as well as destroying all brochures and internet marketing materials in respect of such products. Ronghe has also paid damages to Halo.
In addition, Halo is continuing to take action on Chinese e-commerce platform, Alibaba. To date, over 1000 links to copy product – including furniture and lighting – have been deleted as a result of Halo’s complaints.
Commenting on Halo’s proactive IP strategy, Dids Macdonald, design rights champion ACID’s CEO, says: “Following meetings with Halo’s chief legal counsel, Emily Haslam, last year at the UK/China IP Symposium in Beijing, a UK meeting took place with designers and manufacturers, and a China IP Group has been formed at the highest level to start positive dialogue, with China’s IP attache Tom Duke and the UK IPO’s international director Neil Feinson, to bring interested parties together.
"Its raison d’etre is to discuss the real crises that many UK companies face with ongoing infringement. Information sharing is essential to raise awareness, and we will be holding a second IP symposium in October to deal with not only the challenges but to be a united voice against the continuing challenges.”
Halo is continuing to send out cease and desist letters to infringers, as well as attend trade shows to search for copy product. At the Canton Fair in April, Halo successfully enforced its registered design rights against three Chinese copyists who were displaying and offering for sale copies of the iconic Tom Cat Chair, Mars Chair and Valkyrie Desk. The copy products were labelled as infringing, covered and removed from the stands.
Halo takes pride in its dedicated design teams, and has a strong history of original and innovative design under the Halo brand. The company is dedicated to protecting its product designs, and says it will not hesitate to take the action required to enforce its rights and protect its intellectual property in all jurisdictions.
Any questions in respect of the above should be directed to Emily Haslam at [email protected].
