Habersham Wins Damages in Lawsuit

October 4, 2011  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Legal on October 5, 2011

High-end furniture vendor Habersham has won damages in a copyright infringement suit against Art & Frame Direct, World of Decor and related entities.

A jury award followed a federal trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Habersham, Toccoa, Ga., had accused the defendants of importing and distributing unauthorized copies of several of Habersham's most successful and original furniture designs, including its Valencia Dining Table, Belmont Bookcase and Central Park Bed.

"We are obviously thrilled with the jury's and Court's message--that the copying of original American furniture designs by others will not be tolerated--defending Habersham's commitment to distinctive high-end design. The jury's award of substantial damages in this case should put the copiers on notice," said Matt Eddy, president of Habersham. "We  will continue to enforce our copyright and trademark rights to preserve the exclusivity that the Habersham brand has established with its heirloom quality furniture pieces."
 
Habersham's efforts to protect its copyrighted works and brand identity to date include the successful, amicable resolution of other infringement lawsuits, federal registration of its copyrighted ornamental furniture designs and trademarks, and the removal of unauthorized copies of its products, and infringers of its trademarks, from the listings of the online auction Web site eBay--and other private Web sites.

Eddy cautioned website purchasers to be careful in making purchases of Habersham-looking pieces over the Internet.

"From our efforts in enforcing Habersham's copyrights and trademarks over the years, we have learned that many of those high-priced, so-called Habersham products are actually inexpensive, poorly made copies," he said.