Up until just last week, it was easy—and perfectly legal—to get your hands on a replica of an iconic piece of furniture in the United Kingdom, where manufactured goods were protected for only 25 years after their initial marketing and release. In most of Europe, that time frame was much longer at 70 years after the death of the designer.
New copyright laws, which were passed in 2013, have finally come into effect as of July 28, bringing the U.K. in line with the rest of the Continent. According to Dezeen, this change prohibits dealers from importing or creating new copies of industrial design objects, and in six months, from selling them, too. While Brexit may or may not affect the repeal of section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988 in the future, what’s clear is that the days of the Aldi chair—a replica of Eames Molded Plastic Dowel-Leg Side Chair—are numbered.
Here are nine more of the most copied designs that are now protected under the new copyright laws.
Eileen Gray E1027 Side Table, 1927
Hans Wegner Wishbone Chair, 1950
Isamu Noguchi coffee table, 1944
Jean Prouvé Standard Chair, 1950
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Chair, 1929