Funky Wood

[Morraine]

There is no way you can copyright the skirting boards, wood has been modelled like this for centuries. regarding the doors you probably might have a case if someone copied it verbatim. but you can't stop other people from making a veneered door with a flourish of metal in it, basically doing the same concept as you.

To have any kind of protection as its not written words, software code or music (all of which are easy to provide a time of first production and uniqueness) you will need a registered design patent to protect how it looks which you must get from the patent office. (only last 5 years) and will only stop people copying you verbatim of the designs for the doors (not the use of wood door with metal flourish).

The patent office would never give you a design patent for those skiting boards.

 

[Funky Wood]

Forgot about the wenge! will get onto it straight away, and also put on about the doors being veneered.

Re: copyright. We have copyright on the designs. We have insurance in place to enable us to take anyone to court if they infringe the copyright. I can't say it any more clearer than that.

 

[Morraine]

Forgot about the wenge! will get onto it straight away, and also put on about the doors being veneered.

Re: copyright. We have copyright on the designs. We have insurance in place to enable us to take anyone to court if they infringe the copyright. I can't say it any more clearer than that.

So you have design patents from the UK patent offce do you

What are the patent numbers so i can see this please...........

(if you dont have this then you have no protection)

 

[Funky Wood]

Why do you want the numbers? I'm not comfortable about posting such information on a forum such as this, sorry.

 

[papverpoppies]

How are you ever going to know if they are copied.

It is not like the people who copy CDs and then sell them on markets or fake clothing etc.

If any joiner coped them, you would be non the wiser.

I see why you want to protect your design - but how can you.

Also, if someone wants to slightly alter your design, how could you prove anything?

Poppy

 

[Morraine]

If you have a design patent then you have published your design for the world to see and marvel at as being the first time such design has ever been produced and by publishing the information in the design patent you will be given 5 years to profit from your design without any body else being able to copy you. after the five years it is free for every one to use this marvelous new and lovely novel and unique designs in therd own products.

When you patent some thing you let the world know about it so all technical patents and design patents are published on the patent office for everyone to see.

So if the patent office has given you a patent then that is the proof that you are the only person who is allowed to use this design.

In a court of law how are you going to prove that you were indeed the first person to design these designs if some one else was doing it also.
A design patent would be proof (which is available for anyone to see) that you were the first.

 

[papverpoppies]

There is no way you can copyright the skirting boards, wood has been modelled like this for centuries. regarding the doors you probably might have a case if someone copied it verbatim. but you can't stop other people from making a veneered door with a flourish of metal in it, basically doing the same concept as you.

To have any kind of protection as its not written words, software code or music (all of which are easy to provide a time of first production and uniqueness) you will need a registered design patent to protect how it looks which you must get from the patent office. (only last 5 years) and will only stop people copying you verbatim of the designs for the doors (not the use of wood door with metal flourish).

The patent office would never give you a design patent for those skiting boards.

Can I ask, why the PO, would not give a design patent for the skirting boards?

Poppy

 

[Funky Wood]

But no-one else was doing it when we applied (and were granted) the copyright, so they know we are the first.

We will check for people copying us by using our own internal systems which have been set up to track this going on.

A joiner could copy our designs but by the time he's bought the machinery and the timber to do it, he would find that it's cheaper to just use us in the first place.

 

[FaerieB]

Hi all ... I actually thought design rights lasted 10 years but could be wrong. This site might help http://acid.eu.com/.

Good Luck with the business FunkyWood and hope the show goes well

 

[Morraine]

Can I ask, why the PO, would not give a design patent for the skirting boards?

Poppy

He could try to do it but i really don't think this is a novel new design for a wood fitting within a home.

Homes have been made since in many style throughout eh centuries this also has to be unique world wide so no one in the world could have done this before for him to be granted a design patent.

Design patents are more for things like the design of a car or a novel design of some thing new like the guy who won the pitch last year had designed a distinctive bicycle hoop bar.

There is bound to be prior art all over the world for these skiting boards.

 

[FaerieB]

This may also help with the design rights issue http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?site=101&type=RESOURCES&itemId=1073791344

 

[Funky Wood]

I will repeat, we have the copyright on the designs. We have insurance in place so that we have the resources to take anyone to court over copyright.

The best thing about all of this debate is that you all think the product is good enough to want to be copied. The photos are good but the product in 'real life' is outstanding. This is probably why we are getting a lot of interest at the show.

Our problem has been about getting it out there, however we are definitely making progress with the contacts we have made over the last few days.

Thanks for your comments everyone.

 

[*Lexxy*]

But no-one else was doing it when we applied (and were granted) the copyright, so they know we are the first.

We will check for people copying us by using our own internal systems which have been set up to track this going on.

A joiner could copy our designs but by the time he's bought the machinery and the timber to do it, he would find that it's cheaper to just use us in the first place.

earlier on, i'd said that we'd already done something very similar to your skirting designs. this wasn't a design we created, it was via an architect/designer & was the spec. that was supplied for the job.

with regards to your prices, even with the cost of the cutters, we could knock a decent % off what you're charging at the moment & it still be worth our while. i'm not the only one to say that your current prices are top end.

how on earth can you 'track what's going on'? i'm sorry i seem to be knocking you, but as pointed out a few times, copyright & legal fees ready & waiting are great, on paper. but how are you going to know that you're being copied in the 1st place??

 

[Morraine]

But no-one else was doing it when we applied (and were granted) the copyright, so they know we are the first.

We will check for people copying us by using our own internal systems which have been set up to track this going on.

A joiner could copy our designs but by the time he's bought the machinery and the timber to do it, he would find that it's cheaper to just use us in the first place.

You keep saying you have applied for this and have been granted a copyright.

the patent office would only give a design patent for this and not a copyright. copyrights do not protect 3 dimensional shapes.

so if you have a design patent again what are the patent numbers and prove me wrong.


Go here http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types.htmhttp://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/design.htm

OK and sorry it seams you can update your design patent every 5 years up to 25 years.

 

[peebles]

Flippin eck! You can be a right unfriendly bunch!!! Haven't been on here in ages and have been hit with this!

Funky Wood - don't let them put you off posting on here in the future, although I would totally understand why if you didn't. We''re not all like that, some of us are actually supportive abotu new business ventures. We need people like you to boost our manufacturing economy, without you everything gets shipped from China!

I think your products look really good and I wish you the very best of luck in your venture.

 

[limessl]

Just had a look at the website and :-

1. lots of 404 links
2. the T&C talk about a privacy policy, which doesn't seem to exist except for one line at the bottom of the T&C
3. free delivery on orders over 20 metres? How do I order 20 metres of doors?
4. "For more information visit our online catalogue" - erm well I was on your website and that *IS* your online catalogue!


ps nice to see a few of the folk from UKWorkshop on here

 

[*Lexxy*]

We''re not all like that, some of us are actually supportive abotu new business ventures. We need people like you to boost our manufacturing economy, without you everything gets shipped from China!

so as far as you're concerned, being supportive would be "ooohhh'ing & ahhh'ing & saying everything's great & go for it" :|

from the feedback received on here, FW has actually changed a lot of his site that wasn't a good idea - wouldn't you call that constructive?

absolutely nobody has shot him down & said you've got it all wrong, you'll fail.

sorry peebles, blanket statements like yours seriously P me off

 

[peebles]

Limesell - don't know if there's something wrong with your computer or your eyes?? Looks ok to me. no 404 links!

Right.

Funky Wood said they had copyright. But you all (not all of you) are doubting this. Why not just accept it and move on??! Why put someone down like that, asking them for hard proof?! I#'m pleased Funky Wood didn't bite and put the reference numbers on there, this is an internet forum for goodness sake, not a business meeting!!!!

I get really p!ssed off with 'know it all' attitudes.

 

[Morraine]

Limesell - don't know if there's something wrong with your computer or your eyes?? Looks ok to me. no 404 links!

Right.

Funky Wood said they had copyright. But you all (not all of you) are doubting this. Why not just accept it and move on??! Why put someone down like that, asking them for hard proof?! I#'m pleased Funky Wood didn't bite and put the reference numbers on there, this is an internet forum for goodness sake, not a business meeting!!!!

I get really p!ssed off with 'know it all' attitudes.

Peebles...........

The point we are making is that we are trying to help FW make a success of there business not moddy cuddle them in ignorance!

What help is that to a business owner. We have to many competitors to be left in the dark in ignorance about basic business acumen.

Which i afraid to say you need a dose of a little education on basic business knowledge your self.

 

[peebles]

You see there you go again, claiming to know everything!

You know absolutely nothing about me, or my business, but yet you claim to.

 

[Morraine]

I did not claim to know everything at all. And i know nothing about you or your business. All i do know about you is the comments you have made on this forum thread which would have me believe that you also need to brush up on intellectual property rights.

I'm not saying I'm an IP expert, i have made mistakes before. But there are fundamental things about it that all business owners should know before steering there business into a position there were not prepared for.

 

[limessl]

Limesell - don't know if there's something wrong with your computer or your eyes?? Looks ok to me. no 404 links!

No, it's a fault with the site - this page has a different LH menu to the others and it's obviously a work-in-progress.

http://www.funkywood.co.uk/policies.html

 

[peebles]

I did not claim to know everything at all. And i know nothing about you or your business. All i do know about you is the comments you have made on this forum thread which would have me believe that you also need to brush up on intellectual property rights.

I'm not saying I'm an IP expert, i have made mistakes before. But there are fundamental things about it that all business owners should know before steering there business into a position there were not prepared for.

Why would I need to brush up on intellectual property rights? Is that something that I need to know for my business?

The way you were demanding proof of copyright was rather unfriendly to me.

So.... you've made mistakes before... and you're not an expert...

Thing is Funky Wood is obviously a new business. I know how hard it is to get things off the ground when you're a new business. We should be helping and supporting a newcomer to the forum rather than using tones such as yours where you demand proof of patents in a rather scoffing tone. by saying things such as 'prove me wrong' is quite nasty.

Anyway, lets move on.

Limesll - what do you mean - LH? From a non-technical background the website looks fine to me, but please explain for my own reference.

 

[avantime]

FW - if you need some advice on where to source your oak at a better price then do PM me. There are some good wholesalers in your neck of the woods.


There seem to be several issues in this tread - copyright, cost of product, description of product and website! Each deserves it's own thread IMO.

Once again - good luck to the guy.

 

[LicensedToTrade]

I've just seen this thread FW. I was at the Homebuilding show at the NEC on Friday. If I had seen this post before hand I would have come to see you and say Hello. Let me know when you are next at an exhibition and if I am going I will look for you.

 

[limessl]

Limesll - what do you mean - LH? From a non-technical background the website looks fine to me, but please explain for my own reference.

LH = left hand. It's been fixed now. Thanks for mis-spelling my username twice too

 

[saxondale]

has anyone stopped to consider how poor that stuff is going to be to fit?






scrib that if you can




.

 

[papverpoppies]

has anyone stopped to consider how poor that stuff is going to be to fit?






scrib that if you can




.

Nah...just slap that 'no nails all over it'! get all your friends to hold it in place, until it sets - and away you go!

Joiner, whats one of them!

Do not fancy trying to keep it dust free though.

Poppy

 

[Matt1959]

funkywood, how much of the skirting have you sold to date just out of interest?

 

[saxondale]

This may also help with the design rights issue http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?site=101&type=RESOURCES&itemId=1073791344

were you not trying to claim copyright on "painted wooden hearts" once?

 

[FaerieB]

Hi Saxondale

I wasn’t “trying to claim anything”. I AM a member of ACID … I DO have IP insurance and an IP Solicitor and I HAVE successfully stopped several companies both large and small from copying our products

 

[saxondale]

Hi Saxondale

I wasn’t “trying to claim anything”. I AM a member of ACID … I DO have IP insurance and an IP Solicitor and I HAVE successfully stopped several companies both large and small from copying our products

you`d better fire a letter off to our youngests school next .............. careful though -they have a bigger law dept




genuine question - what grounds?

 

hi denise
good luck with that how can you have copyright on a wooden heart? with a slightly different ribbon on it , my kids made something just like that last christmas at my workshop.
please dont set acid on us

 

[FaerieB]

Hi saxondale

I’m not sure quite why this thread has been hijacked and driven the way it has but hey ho. Perhaps you should start a thread in the legal forum then perhaps I may respond. In the meantime as long as your youngests school isn’t selling them for commercial gain, I really don’t have a problem

The same applies to you Chris

I’m not sure what you mean about the schools legal department though … is it in a particularly rough area?

 

[saxondale]

Hi saxondale

I'm not sure quite why this thread has been hijacked and driven the way it has but hey ho. Perhaps you should start a thread in the legal forum then perhaps I may respond. In the meantime as long as your youngests school isn't selling them for commercial gain, I really don't have a problem

The same applies to you Chris

I'm not sure what you mean about the schools legal department though … is it in a particularly rough area?

its relevant to the thread, so if its all the same lets have an answer here


I have just sold a length of routered skirting board and a painted wooden heart with a ribbon and a plastic "gem"

what grounds are you going to sue me on?

I rather think the money is in selling the insurance not in the cover









.

 

[FaerieB]

its relevant to the thread, so if its all the same lets have an answer here


I have just sold a length of routered skirting board and a painted wooden heart with a ribbon and a plastic "gem"

what grounds are you going to sue me on?

I rather think the money is in selling the insurance not in the cover









.

Are you on drugs saxondale :| or are you really DWP

 

[saxondale]

Are you on drugs saxondale :| or are you really DWP

neither, I`m the owner of a medium sized regional "approved" security company taking just over 500K a year and desperately looking for ways to avoid paying 50% tax - what about you?

Please answer the question raised by your own posts - what grounds have you been "lead" to believe, you could stop me selling painted hearts, and in the OP`ss case grooved skirting board.

 

[FaerieB]

neither, I`m the owner of a medium sized regional "approved" security company taking just over 500K a year and desperately looking for ways to avoid paying 50% tax - what about you?

Please answer the question raised by your own posts - what grounds have you been "lead" to believe, you could stop me selling painted hearts, and in the OP`ss case grooved skirting board.

Ahhhhhhhh ... that would go some way toward explaining the bullying

... and since when did your "company" also become the IP Police


BTW it was you who brought my businesss into this, not I

 

[saxondale]

Ahhhhhhhh ... that would go some way toward explaining the bullying

... and since when did your "company" also become the IP Police


BTW it was you who brought my businesss into this, not I

so your not going to answer any of the questions, raised by your posting links on the thread?


I get bored daily from firms offering me "protection" - not one of them can tell me "on what grounds"

 

[FaerieB]

Given the differing nature of our businesses Saxondale, I doubt we are referring to the same type of protection

I posted links I believed to be relevant on this thread at the time ... I have no intention of posting anything further on this thread ... my business is just that ... my business ... although I do have links to my website in both my profile and in my signature as I have nothing to hide from genuine business people on this forum

I actually don't know what I've done to deserve your wrath ... perhaps you'd like to comment on that