Settlement in Harris Tweed dispute 11/9/14
The Harris Tweed Authority (HTA) has won a legal battle with an American firm who advertised goods as Harris Tweed which were not.
Euromarket Designs, trading as Crate and Barrel, sold two kinds of chairs, online and in store, called Harris Tweed Chair and Harris Herringbone Chair as part of its Harris Tweed Collection.
Neither chairs contained any actual Harris Tweed, which is protected by UK law under the Harris Tweed Act 1993.
Only cloth hand-
Safeguarding its pedigree, the Harris Tweed Authority raised legal action in June and has now secured a ‘monetary settlement’ and assurances the items will not be marketed as Harris Tweed.
Crate and Barrel said that the improper use of the Harris Tweed name had not been deliberate, and that no chairs from the Harris Tweed Collection had been sold in the UK.
Lorna Macaulay, chief executive of the Harris Tweed Authority said: “As we are based in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland it can sometimes seem a long way away from the commercial markets in which Harris Tweed is sold.
“But we never let this distance hinder our continued efforts to protect our various registered marks throughout the world.”
She added: “We use the best legal advisers in the country, the intellectual property litigation specialists at Burness Paull LLP, and we are committed to pursuing any individual or business who attempt to undermine our historic fabric, which is vital and valued not just by the people of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, but also by our customers across the globe.”