ORIGINAL vs. REPRODUCTION vs. KNOCK-OFF CLAIMS
While searching for Mid-Century Modern Furniture you undoubtedly have encountered a wide gamut of offerings, from a variety of manufacturers, importers or distributors. Consequently, you will hear words from various importers and distributors such as “Original”, “Knock-off” and “Reproductions”. In particular, some manufacturers speak about how they own the rights to a specific design and hold specific design patents for specific models. What should be made clear is that such manufacturers or distributors hold trade name only copyright and / or trade “window dressing names” for using towards a specific product design or have an agreement with a historical foundation to market under a specific name, but they are not making an “original” production design under a technical manufacturing drawing at all; just their version of it with a “product name” copyright registration. An example of this scheme would be McDonald’s “golden arches”. Multitudes of fast-food chains and restaurants produce burgers and fries, just not under the umbrella of “golden arches” at their storefronts.
The Originals
The mid-century modern classic furniture pieces that we offer today have reached a state of “Public Domain”. Most, if not all of these designs, may have held only limited and narrow product design patent claims with 12 – 25 year patent authority. In fact, most of these designs held no design patents at the time of their market introductions which includes most of the furniture designs conducted by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Eileen Gray and Marcel Breuer for example. All of the designs we offer have no current “technical manufacturing product design specific” registrations. This allows us to reproduce these items to the specifications of the original design, but not necessarily an exact replica due to current market expectations of comfort, environmental concerns, higher grades of raw materials and more modern manufacturing techniques. If we did produce some of the “original” designs to the original product blueprints from 45 – 80 years ago, we would be using mild steel tubing - perhaps spot-welded or bolted together, cushions stuffed of horsehairs and straw, etc.! An actual “original” of any of the items that we produce would date back to the original production runs of the design, perhaps 80 years ago, and thus, are no longer in production from the original manufacturing factory today. To be clear, the “Originals” are near-priceless pieces of furniture found today in museums and exclusive private collections.
The Knock-offs
ModernClassic.com specializes in manufacturing and selling only in the highest quality, best value reproductions in the market today. We are not selling other importer / distributors products, but our own manufactured pieces. Utilizing the expertise of master craftsmen, who join us from around the world, coupled with the best selection of raw materials sourced from around the world, we are able to bring you the best prices for high quality furniture craftsmanship you may find anywhere. To say our furniture models are “knock-offs” implies that someone else is making the “real ones” somewhere, which is, simply stated, not correct. We view our furniture models as setting a new, higher standard for Mid-Century Modern reproductions, but certainly not as a knock-offs.
Our Reproductions
We are committed to duplicating the appearance, scale and function of the original designs of the Bauhaus / Modernist Classic Era as close as humanly possible. We take exacting measures to replicate the original design and use only the finest materials and craftspeople available. The end result is a museum quality piece that supports or exceeds the manufacturing standards of the original. We offer a value that is in keeping with the original designers with the intent of bringing high quality furniture to the consumer at a price that is reasonably accessible to most furnishing budgets.
From reading this page, we hope we have offered a clear understanding that our Mid-Century Modern furniture, which we manufacture and distribute as an excellent value for your choice in purchasing mid century classics furnishings.
