BODUM Design is an Icon; Equally as Strong as the Coca Cola Bottle

COPENHAGEN, October 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

BODUM has just won a court case against Euroline, which produces an exact copy of the well-known BODUM French coffee press; Chambord. During the hearing the press was described as having the same iconic status as the characteristic Coca Cola bottle. BODUM will continue to bring other copy manufacturers to court the world over to protect its design. The number of copy products is increasing.

BODUM is pleased to have won its case against a copy manufacturer. The case was lodged in Australia against the manufacturer DKSH, which under the name Euroline manufactures and sells a coffee press exactly the same as the well known BODUM Chambord - both in design and packaging.

"The close similarity between the two presses caught the judge's eye. It's impossible to distinguish the Euroline press from our own, as there is no clear indication where it comes from on either the press itself or the packaging. And this is misleading for consumers," said Priska Scherer, Design Manager at BODUM.

BODUM design is iconic

"The judgement also confirmed that the design of the Chambord is iconic, at the same level as the very characteristic Coca Cola bottle. Therefore it's illegal for other manufacturers to copy it. Of course we're very pleased about this, as our unique design is our living and we've spent many years perfecting it," said Priska Scherer.

Another important reason for BODUM bringing copy manufacturers to court, and continuing to bring do so, is related to the quality demands BODUM places on its products; demands which copy manufacturers rarely reflect.

"Before our products are sent to retailers, and on to consumers, they must first go through a large number of quality tests so that we are sure that they have the required durability, for example. We don't want our Chambord press to only withstand 100 brews, we want it to last for 100,000. And of course our brand is damaged if a poor quality copy product resembles our original Chambord so much that consumers believe they have purchased a genuine BODUM product," said Priska Scherer.

Increasing number of copy products

Copy products are on the increase. According to the annual report from the European Commission on fake products, which was published this summer, 103 million products were confiscated at EU borders in 2010 following suspicions that they were in breach of intellectual property rights. This is double the number for the previous year. The majority of copy products, 85 %, come from China.

The EU has therefore intensified efforts in the area, amongst other things to stop copy products at the borders to the single European market and through work on revising the product labelling system, which is expected to be completed in late 2011.

"I am convinced that a robust system ensuring the right level of protection of intellectual property rights is essential for Europe's economy. We proposed new rules last May to strengthen customs' ability to fight trade in fake goods," says Algirdas Šemeta, Commissioner responsible for Taxation, Customs, Anti Fraud and Audit.

"We will continue to step up our efforts within the EU and with our international partners to ensure the maximum level of protection for intellectual property rights for both legitimate businesses and consumers. By cracking down on counterfeiting and piracy, we ensure that European companies feel more confident investing in innovation and development of their brand," says Algirdas Šemeta.

Further information

Priska Scherer, Design Manager, BODUM
Telephone: +41-41-935-46-23, e-mail: priska.scherer@bodum.com

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