Herman Miller has filed legal action in the Northern District of Illinois against Madison Seating for unauthorized use of its trademarks and improper marketing and sales of Herman Miller products, including the Aeron chair. It is a motion to enforce a previous consent judgment between the company and Madison Seating's manager, Levi Cohen. Cohen previously owned LuxuryChair.com and has restarted his business under the name of Madison Seating. The consent decree explicitly prohibits Cohen from engaging in Madison Seating's current infringing activities and imposes specific penalties for violating the judgment.
"Herman Miller vigorously supports our strong global brand to ensure that the products our consumers purchase exceed their expectations for quality, design, and performance," said Brian Walker, CEO of the company. "We also respect, and therefore protect, the reputations of the designers who develop these products, as well as our employees who take great pride in the products they make."
While companies and individuals are able to sell Herman Miller furniture, they must clearly indicate the condition of the product. Authorized Herman Miller dealers and retailers are required to be truthful and transparent in their advertisements to avoid confusion among consumers.
Herman Miller has a robust enforcement program in place to protect against deceptive businesses, including those that misinterpret the condition of products being sold, that confused and misled the consuming public, or that produce and sell counterfeit products. The company leverages all methods of intellectual property protection to maintain the integrity of the brand, and encourages all companies that also produce and sell original, authentic products to do so as well.
"Misleading business practices are a scourge of the industry," said Walker. "They negatively impact the entire category by confusing and frustrating customers and consumers, and damaging the brands and reputations of companies like Herman Miller and others that are committed to creating and selling authentic, innovative, high-quality products that last for generations."
