The report on the story of PACMAT in The Times.

Ordnance Survey (OS), Ordnance Survey Leisure (OSL) and its Managing Director, Nick Giles OBE, and Steven Showell, Chief Financial Officer, have agreed a confidential settlement with Hackney family business Rubbaglove in a long-running dispute about Rubbaglove’s trade mark protected innovative PACMAT® blanket. OSL is a subsidiary of government-owned Ordnance Survey Ltd., whose 100% shares are owned by the Secretary of State for The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). 

A press statement was agreed, as follows:

“Ordnance Survey and Rubbaglove have reached an amicable resolution to a dispute between them regarding the designs of OS’ picnic blankets. The terms of the settlement are confidential to the parties and their advisors.”

Dids Macdonald OBE, Chairman and Co-founder of Anti Copying In Design (ACID) said, “Legal exchange came to a halt after 4.5 years and I advised Rubbaglove to write to their MP Dame Meg Hillier DBE and she subsequently wrote to the Secretary of State, Rt Hon, Peter Kyle, MP who owns 100% shares of OS. It was after intervention from Dame Meg Hillier MP that OSL reverted and a settlement was reached. I was unsurprised by Ordnance Survey’s Official statements; this is typical in most David & Goliath battles.

Whilst the dispute has now concluded, the costs in money (nearly £70K) and time to Rubbaglove’s business has been significant. One other company related to the original dispute continues to produce similar products, raising ongoing concerns about intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement. I certainly expect more compliance, ethics and respect for IP from government-related partners and a government-owned company like Ordnance Survey, which relies so heavily on copyright itself, it is nothing short of disgraceful.

I am surprised that in a week where the government was outwardly supporting UK small businesses that a government owned company would sideline a small, successful entrepreneurial UK company to have lookalikes produced in China. I will be writing to invite the Secretary of State to sign our IP Charter, where signatories can demonstrate their support for IP respect, compliance and ethics. MPs and Peers have already shown their support”.

Guy Eaton, MD of Rubbaglove, said, “The prolonged dispute lasting nearly five years placed a heavy financial, emotional and personal burden on us as the founders and creators of the PACMAT®. We had no choice but to try and fight”.