Showplans joins anti-copying organisation to protect copyright
A year after Showplans and fellow software company ASP were at the centre of a story about infringements to their intellectual property, concerns are again being raised about copyright theft in the exhibition industry.
Showplans, a design-led service provider for the industry, has recently become a member of Anti Copying In Design (ACID), a copyright protection organisation for professional designers, in response to concerns about the safety of the company's innovations. Showplans CEO Adam Jones says the decision was made in order to protect the company's copyrighted design work and show its support for design innovation within the events industry.
"We've found a copy-and-paste company continuing to try and offer products uncannily similar to ours. On the plus side, it can be seen as a compliment that such companies choose to copy our products, but we feel the need to protect our business against these unimaginative poachers and we're ready to do whatever it takes to prevent them benefiting from our market leading innovations and stifling the growth of the industry."
Jones added a call to action for other design companies to join ACID or similar organisations in order to give event organisers increased confidence when choosing a supplier. “We encourage suppliers who are innovators and have nothing to hide to join us in supporting an organisation like ACID. This will enhance their protection if they suffer a similar violation of their copyright and create more transparency and trust for suppliers who are making the effort to push the boundaries of design and technology for the good of the industry."