Ten years ago, sawdust and the scent of wood became a livelihood for two friends from Northern Jutland, Martin Estrup and Benjamin Sørensen. Back then, the two friends spent most of their free time making plank tables, which ended up in the homes of friends and acquaintances. But as demand grew and more late nights were spent in the workshop, they decided to go full-time with their furniture business, Wood Zone.
"We have never regretted it. We love creating handcrafted wooden furniture with a focus on quality and design. And we take pride in the fact that we have always produced—and always will produce—our products in our own workshop," Martin Estrup emphasizes.
Make time to protect your ideas
At the time, the two friends didn’t consider design protection, but a seminar at Patrade’s office in Aalborg opened their eyes to its value.
"As a society, we have become accustomed to copies of many products. But when you’ve dedicated your life to developing an idea, creating a product, and running a business, it matters whether you have the rights to your design," says Martin Estrup.
By registering your design, you protect the shape and appearance of your product, preventing others from copying it. Yet, previous analyses by the Danish Patent and Trademark Office show that only 10% of Danish SMEs protect their rights, compared to 68% of larger companies.
"We also wondered whether it was worth the effort because, as a small business, you have to take time away from operations to provide the necessary documentation for protection. And you need to invest money in it. So, it takes some consideration. But it’s definitely worth prioritizing, as it ensures we can actually make money from our own ideas and avoid our name being associated with similar-looking products that don’t match our quality standards," says Martin Estrup.
Stay ahead in protecting your rights
So far, Wood Zone has obtained design protection for two of their self-made furniture pieces, and the entire process has given the two founders a much better understanding of what is worth protecting. This means they can now secure their rights early in the development process.
"We’ve learned that it pays to be proactive. Design protection and other IP rights should be considered from the start of product development if you want to avoid having your ideas stolen—or unintentionally infringing on others’ rights. And once you understand what makes a design unique, it doesn’t take much time to act on it compared to the major consequences of doing nothing," says Martin Estrup, adding:
"But it does require specialist knowledge, which is why we’ve benefited from working with an advisor like Patrade, who focuses solely on this area. That has been invaluable."
