Meet ‘The Button’ - A New Tech for Fighting Knockoffs
You’ve heard it time and time again - designers and brands fighting for their original products while knockoffs roll out to the masses. From Louis Vuitton “parody” purses to “borrowed” Nirvana logos on Marc Jacobs’ t-shirts and sweaters, the risk of being copied is an ever-present frustration for those that are the creators of the authentic design.
What can be done to fight the knockoffs? Firstly, make sure you are member of Be Original Americas! Then, you could, and should, protect your brand by registering copyrights & trademarks and providing certificates of authenticity - but more often than not, counterfeits can slip under the radar unnoticed until they’ve already entered thousands of homes, hotels and offices.
Now, our member Moooi has come up with a new way to counteract counterfeits - and it starts by changing your point of view. And, as a member of Be Original Americas, Moooi will connect your firm with the company responsible for the technology. Not yet a member? Join here.
Paul Molenschot, CXO of Moooi, presents The Button at our Annual Members Meeting
Patrick Eischen, CEO of Selinko, the company behind The Button technology
Giving power to the positive side.
Moooi flips the focus from fighting knockoffs to celebrating their own authentic designs. Aptly named “The Button,” Moooi has created a digital defender that assures customers they’ve invested in an authentic Moooi design.
Now attached to lighting products in the Moooi line, the small, floral-embellished Button contains a wireless chip that enables near-field communication (NFC) technology between two devices. When scanned from The Button’s corresponding smartphone app, the hi-tech superhero verifies if the design is an authentic Moooi piece, providing details on product information and the design’s origins.
With each Button (and the design of this could change by a company’s brand aesthetics) containing a digital identity unique to every Moooi product, owners can find comfort in knowing they’ve supported original design. Fighting malpractices in the market is exhausting, especially when many counterfeits are coming from countries or manufacturers where legal prosecution is difficult to obtain.
Moooi’s Button gives power to original design -- not those that try to fraud it.
Users scan to verify the product
Full product details appear
Why The Button?
What makes authentic design a better investment? We asked Moooi why they value authenticity and what it means to support original design:
Innovation: Investing in authentic design means you’re investing in innovative processes and products, as well as the future of good design. The development, creation, and implementation of new ideas and technology takes time that counterfeits otherwise take away.
Quality: Counterfeits take hasty - and dangerous - shortcuts. However, authentic designs like Moooi’s ensure close involvement with every part of the production process. Quality is controlled and checked through each stage of a design’s creation, meaning that the consumer benefits from a safe, long-lasting result.
“The consumer is being constantly tricked,” says John Edelman, Be Original Americas President and CEO for Design Within Reach. “Imagine if we could check authenticity with just a quick scan.” The benefit goes beyond the manufacturer -- retailers would know they are selling an authentic piece, architects would know they are specifying an original, and consumers would know they are buying the real thing that’s built to last.
What do you think? Is this the step the industry needs to take to fight the counterfeit scourge?
Join here to take part in the conversation or reach out below to learn more.