Lawsuit Sees IKEA Hide Beneath The Bed Covers

In today's age, if you can't innovate, too sadly other people and companies copy. Suchlike has supposedly left IKEA, the now-household company that perhaps boasts having a single item of theirs in every single home across the country, guilty of such crime.

It has been cited that Frankfurt (Germany) brand e15 is taking IKEA to Germany's highest court, over claims that one of IKEA's most successful designs is in fact a copy of one of their own. The Malm bed - already familiar with that furniture piece's name (?) - is the culprit in question and it is said to bear much resemblance to e15's SL02 Mo.

First bringing the case in front of the Dusseldorf regional courts, after two findings and hearings in favour of the Swedish furniture behemoth (IKEA), e15 has now decided to appeal Germany's supreme court, the Bundesgerichtshof, with a result expected in 2017.

Launched in 2002, IKEA's (and e15's) bed is a supra-minimal design that is little more than a few pieces of timber creatively and simple composed together. Part of IKEA's bestselling Malm range, like the SL02 Mo, the bed offers an understated, flat head-board and foot-board, connected together via a wide frame that doubles as a bedside shelf. SATORI & SCOUT are confident you almost certainly recognise IKEA's design, but do you agree, are there grounds to suggest copyright issues?

Despite everything said, the prices are vastly different from one another with the SL02 Mo made of 100% solid wood and can be found for sale at upwards of £3,546, whilst IKEA's Malm bed is made of particle board and is just a modest £165.

IKEA states that "...we never deliberately copies products sold by other companies or designers", a spokeperson comments, however such accusation has come at a time when copyright infringement accusations seem to be overshadowing the brand of late. Discover more about the 'original' designer at E15.com.

Photography credit : E15.com