Knoll vs. RegencyShop.com - Barcelona Chair Trademark Dispute Headed for Trial
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 09, 2013 -- RegencyShop.com is in a legal dispute with Knoll Inc., concerning Knoll’s trademark of the Barcelona Chair, and several related Barcelona items according to court documents (1). Barcelona chairs, also known as Pavilion chairs, Exposition chairs, and RegencyShop’s own line of Ibiza chairs, have been produced and offered by many furniture companies for decades, but recently Knoll had sued RegencyShop over the design of these chairs.
As presented in court documentation, these chairs were first introduced to the world at the Barcelona World Fair in 1929, where Lilly Reich and Mies van der Rohe designed and furnished the German Pavilion (1). Lilly Reich, an accomplished designer, designed the furniture for the German Pavilion to accompany the work Mies van der Rohe did in designing the pavilion building itself. However, like many accomplished women of her time, Lilly Reich’s work had been overlooked, and credit for her design was given to Mies van der Rohe. The Barcelona chair was manufactured in the US and Europe in limited production from the 1930s to 1950s, and in 1953, six years after Reich’s death in Nazi Germany, van der Rohe allegedly ceded his rights and his name on the design to Knoll, without any mention of the rights Lilly Reich held in the designs of the chairs. Knoll allegedly claims to be the current licensed holder and manufacturer of all the trademark rights of the design. In 2004, Knoll received trademark rights to the design from the USPTO. In its court filings, RegencyShop.com alleges that Knoll received these trademarks by fraud, through failing to apprise the USPTO of key facts that would prevent the trademark in the design from being issued.
In its recent lawsuit against Knoll, RegencyShop.com - http://www.regencyshop.com – alleges that Knoll - http://www.knoll.com – “aided and abetted by the lawyers, Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, have made fraudulent representations and fraudulent omissions to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in order to acquire trademarks in the designs of public domain Barcelona Collection furniture.” (1)
Like the design of the Eames chair, the design of the Barcelona chair is considered public domain according to a court ruling in a similar trademark case back in 2000 with Herman Miller’s Eames chair (2). The RegencyShop.com suit claims that Knoll allegedly, “using the legal acumen of lawyers of Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman defendant (Knoll) stole Barcelona furniture designs from the public domain.” (1)
According to court documents, the RegencyShop.com lawsuit in California seeks to take away the Barcelona line trademarks from Knoll and make them pay damages of $300,000 and legal fees. Currently, the legal battle between Knoll and RegencyShop.com is proceeding through federal court in New York (1).
Citations:
1. Moderno Inc. v. Knoll, In the United States Court for the Southern District of New York
Case No: 13-cv-03017-AKH
Case Link: https://ecf.nysd.uscourts.gov/doc1/127112352424
2. Herman Miller, Inc. v. Palazzetti Imports and Exports, Inc, In the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division
Case Nos: 98-2363; 99-1019
Case Link: http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-6th-circuit/1404450.html
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About RegencyShop.com
Regency Shop is the high-end retailer of modern furniture including modern classics and retro design reproductions. We source our furniture from around the globe to offer you the highest quality products at the most affordable prices. We ensure that the our manufacturers only meet or exceed our high quality standards. Only the best manufacturers and spend a lot of time and resources finding manufacturers that meet or exceed quality standards. Our modern furniture line consists of chairs, sofas, loveseats, loungers, tables and accessories for individuals, design professionals and corporations of all sizes. We are committed on bringing you tremendous value into the marketplace.
Source: RegencyShop.com
For any questions about this case, please contact Adam M. at 1-866-776-2680.
Adam M, RegencyShop.com, http://www.regencyshop.com, 1 866 776 2680, [email protected]
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