Manx copycat company prosecuted

A Manx company's been prosecuted in Sweden for selling copycat versions of Scandinavian furniture.

Four founders of Designers Revolt have been sentenced to 18 months jail by the Stockholm Patent and Market Court for selling the counterfeits.

As well as the sentence, last month's ruling also ordered the executives to pay fines and damages of several million Swedish kronor.

They had used a copyright loophole law to sell their Chinese-made copies, but now also face large fines.

DR International, which runs Designer Revolt, was registered in 2010 and lists its offices as being in Millennium House on Victoria Road in Douglas.

In court, the company said it thought that the business was legal, but the court said they'd been sent a number of cease and desist letters, and so were well aware of their criminality.

They were jailed - and ordered to pay £2.2 million in damages and forfeit another £2.5 million in proceeds from the business.

Another company which provided transport and logistics was also found guilty of helping Designers Revolt.