In our latest Member Focus we want to share ACID member Nicholas Mellor’s fascinating insight into his company, Melver Design. All the inside stories of our amazingly diverse membership all have one common theme – protecting their intellectual property to achieve growth and putting IP at the heart of their business strategy. Melver Design is no exception!  

When and why did you first start creating your products/designs?

My love of contemporary furniture, and a desire to experiment with materials and techniques, resulted in Melver Design.  I set up my workshop in 2011 after a 15-year career in electrical contracting. The designs and products came to fruition in 2014 after I had developed my skill set and equipment.

My interest in mid-century, modernist style and geometric abstraction combines beautifully with vivid colours and wood veneers to create truly unique pieces of furniture and light fittings.

Did you have any knowledge of intellectual property (IP) when you started your business?

I had very little knowledge of intellectual property other than it was difficult to protect design.

Which ACID Membership services have you used and how have you benefited from being a Member?

I have a few of my designs lodged in the ACID IP Databank and am currently uploading the rest of my catalogue. The Member of ACID Logo is used on all my correspondence and displayed at any trade show that I attend. I am currently working on a marketing plan, so I will be using the ACID Marketplace very soon.

Have you brought anything new to market recently that you would like to share?

I have a new pendant light (Barnett pendant) which was completed at the end of last year. It is currently exclusively sold at the Lebonmarche store in Paris. I am working on a new product now to be ready to launch at Maison et Objet exhibition in September.

What is the best aspect of ACID Membership for your business?

Knowing that I have someone who has my back in regard to my IP means that it is one less thing to think about. Being self-employed means having to do everything, so spreading my workload gives me peace of mind.

What advice would you offer to a new designer?

I think it is invaluable to get support in a new business but for a designer I think protection of your IP is essential. It is too easy to copy elements of peoples work knowingly or not. If there are any steps you can do to protect your future, do it.

ACID values the support of its members to enable it to campaign for design law reform. Do you have any messages for Government/Policy Makers on IP issues?

Design law is very complex, so a priority is to make it more easy to understand the laws regarding IP. Strengthen individual’s power to protect their work through exemplary damages would be a great start. I would also like to see the introduction of criminal provisions for unregistered designs as this would send a real deterrent message to those who copy as a deliberate strategy.

Read more about Melver Design here.