Furniture Industry Team

Design and brand protection are frequent topics of debate in the home furnishings industry. For furniture companies and designers who introduce innovative stylings, intellectual property is critical for business success. For companies who intend merely to participate in a trend, avoiding encroachment upon the patent, copyright and trademark rights of others is essential to turning a profit. 

 

Womble Carlyle is highly experienced in distinguishing between innovation and commodity products. Our team members are recognized international leaders in furniture and design-related intellectual property issues, and regularly counsel clients on the various forms of applicable legal protection. For the innovations, we have established the intellectual property rights in hundreds and hundreds of designs, so we understand the specific challenges and opportunities of the home furnishings industry. We prepare, file, prosecute, enforce and defend furniture-related patent, trademark and copyright applications on a nearly daily basis.

 

Mindful of the global nature of the home furnishings industry, we represent clients in establishing and defending international intellectual property rights (patent, trademark and copyright) as well as in the United States. Where intellectual property litigation is necessary to protect or enforce rights, we astutely manage litigation in courts and venues throughout the world. 

 

From our offices in Greensboro and Winston-Salem, N.C., we are well-positioned to serve furniture clients doing business at the High Point Market, and our Furniture Law attorneys are long-time Market attendees.   We are active members, officers and speakers in industry trade associations, including the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) and the American Society of Furniture Designers (ASFD). Furniture Law team members also author the Womble Carlyle Furniture Law Blog.