ACID has launched an intellectual property charter, urging support for designers and design protection.
The charter, which also marks British IP Day, is a code of conduct and statement of intent, setting out the promise of its charter signatories to uphold ethics, respect and compliance as a minimum to designers of original works. Enabling both individuals and businesses to take a public stance against copying in design, ACID charter signatories help to amplify the voice of designers across the UK and affirm their support for the continual campaign for the preservation and promotion of invaluable IP protection rights. To sign the IP Charter, charter signatories are asked for a nominal one-off fee, which contributes to ACID’s fighting fund against design theft, and lobbying efforts for design law reform.
‘The ACID IP Charter marks an exciting new chapter aimed at broadening our community and can be signed digitally on ACID’s new website, launched on British IP Day alongside the new IP Charter initiative. Featuring enhanced IP tools, we have listened to ACID member feedback and have created a seamless and secure IP Design Databank to allow designers to create a third-party independent audit trail of their intellectual property, ACID’s new website is curated to provide a complete bank of knowledge on IP rights,’ says Dids Macdonald, ACID ceo.
‘As the financial benefits of the design economy continue to grow across the UK economy, so too does the role of design as a shaper of more sustainable and equitable futures. With design in such a pivotal economic and cultural position, both now and in the future, it becomes more important than ever that creativity and innovation in the UK are robustly championed and protected. The work ACID does is crucial in supporting creatives and businesses across the design economy and the new charter is an important step in drawing the sector together under a clear and common set of values,’ says Cat Drew, Design Council chief design officer.