Harris Tweed Authority and Crate and Barrel settle chair dispute

The Harris Tweed Authority has resolved a dispute with US retailer, which

saw Euromarket Designs Inc., falsely labeling two of its chair designs as Harris Tweed.

Euromarket Designs Inc, which trades under the name Crate and Barrel was initially sued by the Harris Authority, the enterprise set up to safeguard the brand of the Scottish fabric, this June.

The Authority stated that Crate and Barrel was offering chairs described as part of a 'Harris Tweed Collection,' with one style under the name 'Harris Tweed Chair' and another 'Harris Herringbone Chair,' but neither of the chairs contained any official Harris Tweed.

Harris Tweed, which is hand-woven on the Western Isles, is under protection by UK law and trademarked in the USA and UK. The chairs were on sale for a number of weeks on Crate and Barrel’s website, as well as in-stores and catalogs. The Authority claims that the sale of the chairs in the UK breached the Harris Tweed Act 1993 as well as other statutory rights held by Harris Tweed.

Following court proceedings, the companies have agreed to an out-of-court settlement, as Crate and Barrel argues that the use of the name Harris Tweed had not been conscious and that no chairs from the collection had been sold in the UK.

The Authority stated it had obtained a monetary settlement, along with assurances from Crate and Barrel that the issue would not happen again. Lorna Macaulay, chief executive of the Harris Tweed Authority, commented: “As we are based in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, it can sometimes seem a long way away from the commercial markets in which Harris Tweed is sold.”

“But we never let this distance hinder our continued efforts to protect our various registered marks throughout the world.”