I've spoken with a number of modern furniture specialists about the concept of "authorized manufacturef" compared to reproductions given the vast price differences. For example, when does it make sence to purchase an Eames chair from Knoll rather than purchase a
Eames reproduction from another, more affordable, manufacturer? To understand, here is some patent information and background.
Patents - US companies that make furniture have a legal means to protect their investment associated with the initial design and manufacturing of their products. For over 200 years the US Patent and Trademark Office has offered these legal protections as utility patents, design patents and trademarks.
Utility Patent - Inventions can be protected with a utility patent for 20 years. There are various tests that must be passed before a utility patent is issued. For example, Charles Eames, a premier mid-century furniture designer, received a patent in 1942 for a “Method of Making Laminated Articles.” This patent describes in
detail both a method (including an apparatus design) to
manufacture laminated products and sample products (compound curved plywood chairs, splints and stretchers) made using this method.
Design Patent - A design patent protects a designer or manufacturer from being copied and is good for 14 years. Charles Eames received a design patent in 1948 for a plywood chair (the LCW, Lounge Chair Wood). This patent is short, only two pages long, and simply shows
four views of an LCW. If a company wants to copy a design that is protected by a patent it must make enough changes as to not infringe on the original patent. A court decision may be required to determine if the quantity and nature of the changes actually distinguish the new design from a protected design. Design and utility patents are similar in that they cannot be renewed.
Trademark - A trademark is a word, name or symbol that identifies a product. Unlike patents, a company can renew a trademark. For example, Knoll has the exclusive rights to use the word Knoll when applied to furniture. They also have a trademark on the word Barcelona
when applied to furniture. Legally, no other company can use the words Knoll or Barcelona in the marketing of furniture.
Authorized Manufacturer - Some companies want you to believe that they own the exclusive manufacturing rights to the original products even though the patents protecting these rights have been expired for many years. Terms such as “only licensed version”, “authorized manufacturer” or “reissue” are more
marketing positions, not legal positions about their manufacturing exclusivity rights.
Design and utility patents of most Mid-Century Modern designs, if they were even patented originally and not just trademarked, have expired. Be cautions of paying a high price for a specific manufacturer. It’s perfectly acceptable to purchase new versions of modern furniture from any manufacture that does not have a design or
utility patent.
The terms reissue and
reproduction are just descriptions to help sales people and consumers. If you want to buy any piece of furniture and the company is honest, makes a good product true to the original design, at a fair price and it meets your needs, buy it. Remember that the original goal of the modern design movement was to make well-designed products at affordable prices for the masses.
