Suit to settle whether Barcelona chair design is protected

Knoll, Alphaville duel over Mies van der Rohe works

Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, July 30, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal lawsuit here will determine whether the Barcelona chair and other historic 1920s designs created by renowned designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe are in the public domain.

The case involves contract manufacturer Knoll, which claims exclusive trademark rights to the iconic chair, and residential producer Alphaville Design of Fremont, Calif.

The companies have been in a legal battle over the chair since 2007. The court recently cleared the way for a jury trial when it denied motions from both sides to resolve the case short of trial. In the ruling, the court said, "Specifically, the trademark rights will not be valid if the designs have gone into the public domain at any time. ..."

"We are delighted at the chance to present our case to a jury," said Alphaville President David W.F. Lee. "We have no doubt that the designs long ago passed into the public domain. ... We feel that historical designs should be accessible to all. If we win, the people win. If we lose, that might be the day when affordable design dies."