Dids Macdonald, OBE., CEO of Anti Copying In Design (ACID), being interviewed on a popular podcast by Designerati has gone live.

You can watch Episode 29 of Designerati on YouTube here or catch up on most standard podcast channels.

In the Designerati interview, Dids talks about her entry into interior design, hot foot from an earlier career as air cabin crew flying supersonic on Concorde, and how she and her business partner created a small but successful niche design practice in Lots Road, Chelsea. She talks about the honour of receiving an OBE for her services to the design sector and how it has given her a platform to shout loudly about design law reform. She moves on to explain the devastating effects she had to deal with from infringements herself and the inspiring story behind her development of ACID as a platform to support and fight for other designers who face the intellectual property (IP) issues she and her company faced challenging those who stole their designs.

ACID has a long history of supporting members with instances of infringement, using mediation, our dedicated IP specialists, and if necessary, then shouting very loudly to inform public opinion on the devastating effects of copying other designers.

Paramount is the design industry and large companies supporting ethics in design to stamp out blatant copying. We need voices from all sectors to join us in the call to embody ethics, respect, and compliance in IP. We continue to campaign with large bodies such as the Government to make the design infringement more egalitarian and cost-effective for micro or SME businesses to pursue cases of infringement.

Dids Macdonald, OBE., CEO of ACID, said, “We are looking for companies to have a tick box of ethics, respect, and compliance in IP within declared corporate social responsibility (CSR). Whilst we didn’t start out to name and shame, rather, to name and educate, ACID is now ramping up the rhetoric with government and naming those Goliaths who consistently ride on the backs of innovators.”

Anyone can sign up to the ACID IP Charter here to show their support for designers and help change the IP landscape for the better.