Navy chair maker essentially admits its design is “just a generic chair”

Emeco, the maker of the Navy Chair (pictured left), has sued Restoration Hardware for its knockoff (pictured right). We have a piece in Slate today arguing that Emeco’s claim falls flat. The reason, basically, is that Emeco’s chair isn’t distinctive, and thus its design cannot be protected by trademark. Rather, Emeco’s chair is pretty much just a chair. A fact that Emeco’s products chief as much admits in the video below. Choice quotes from Magnus Breitling, Emeco’s Director of Product Management:

“Ask a kid to draw a chair – she would probably take the [Navy] chair – ‘cause it’s just a classic chair. It doesn’t have a cupholder. It doesn’t play your applications. It’s just a chair.”

“[Navy Chair designer Wilton Dinges] basically took a generic wood chair, took the design over, and made it in aluminum.”

Yup.