
AUTHENTIC DESIGN ALLIANCE®
HELP STOP DESIGN THEFT!
Authentic Design Alliance® is a Social Enterprise leading the fight against furniture design theft in Australia. We advocate for improved Intellectual Property (IP) protection for furnishings and create awareness about why we must buy once, choose well and not support the fast furniture industry.
We educate about the importance of investing in original products to support the brands and individuals that create, make, sell, specify and promote authentic design.
Our vision is for the word ‘replica’ to be eradicated as it unfairly misleads customers about which products are legitimately original and misrepresents knockoffs to be somehow connected to the licensed manufacturer or distributor.
We believe the replica furniture sector must be criminalized as it profits unfairly by selling copies of successful original products. Buying, specifying, or selling replicas, knockoffs, and copies directly supports design theft.
“A successful product employs a network.
A successful collection creates a sub-economy”
As an independent association, we drive awareness about the cultural, societal, and environmental damage caused by ‘copy culture’ and ‘disposable decorating.’
We strive to shift the dial towards consumers valuing authentic products and long-term purchases over cheap short-lifespan copies to support a stronger future for our industry.
ADA® members directly enable our ongoing work with Government agencies for IP reform; and help fund our national education program.
Discover more about ADA® membership here (or here if on mobile / device)
Lets get real.
6 Facts About Design Theft.

BECOME A MEMBER
ADA Members enable our program
As a member-funded association, we are supported by designers, makers, manufacturers, distributors, importers, and retailers of authentic products.
Our members also include interior designers, architects, interior stylists, photographers, digital influencers, building industry brands, and landscape design professionals.
- MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS // desktop view
- HEAD HERE // if on a phone or tablet
LATEST NEWS

Denfair has rebranded as DESIGN SHOW Join us October 18-22 at ICC Sydney for the newly rebooted Interiors Australia I Denfair now known as DESIGN SHOW. The industry event will [...]

VIVID DESIGN COMP :: Meet The Next Wave of Local Design Talent
PREVIEW NEW WORK BY 2022 FINALISTS Australia’s longest-running design competition celebrates its 19th anniversary shining a spotlight on early-career furniture, lighting and [...]

FINALLY A WIN :: 12-month Grace Period from March 10
Big news!! From March 10, 2022, Australian designs now officially have a 12-month ‘Grace Period’ that enables initial protection prior to the lodgement of design registration. [...]

MDW 22 :: ADA Partners with SAY IT LOUD, 17-27 March
We are proud to support the Australian debut of SAY IT LOUD, a global initiative that cultivates and elevates the contributions of BIPOC designers to raise the visibility of [...]

MDW :: FUTURES COLLECTIVE, Villa Alba Museum 17-26 March
We’re thrilled to join FUTURES COLLECTIVE at Villa Alba Museum for Melbourne Design Week. Spearheaded by Spence & Lyda and Fiona Lynch Office, we will join Broached [...]

ADA 08 :: Denfair x Melbourne Design Week – download
ADA08 is live – download your copy here Join us at Interiors Australia – Denfair February 10-12 and Melbourne Design Week at Villa Alba Museum for FUTURES [...]

DESIGN FRINGE :: Meet ADA Award Winners at Denfair 10-12 February
ADA Design Futures Award Winners Discover work by five new designers at our Interiors Australia I Denfair installation. Melbourne Fringe Furniture, now DESIGN FRINGE, debuted [...]

ADA DENFAIR TALK :: Who Turned the Lights Out, February 11
ADA LIGHTING TALK ‘Who Turned the Lights Out’ with Christopher Boots, Jason Bird (Luxxbox), Patrick Lourie (Euroluce) and Volker Haug, moderated by ADA director [...]

VIVID DESIGN COMP :: 2021 Winners Celebrated at a Live Event
The 18th Vivid Design exhibition showcased an incredible lineup of work by local talent. Our ADA Award recipents Samual Burns and Zachary Hanna, joined award winners Dean [...]
CASE STUDIES

CASE STUDY // Clement Meadmore – the problems with design theft in the 1950’s still prevail today!
Best known for massive outdoor steel sculptures that can be seen across Australia and around the world, the late Australian-American artist Clement Meadmore (1929-2005) was [...]

CASE STUDY I The problem with copyright – don’t assume you’re covered!
Some of Australia’s best-known rock photographers claimed copyright infringement by an online auction of media giant Fairfax’s Sydney Morning Herald image archive. ABC news [...]

CASE STUDY // Don’t Ask Designer-Makers to Copy Original Designs!!
What happens when credible studios or makers unwittingly accept a commission to produce what they believe to be original work only to later discover the project is a [...]

CASE STUDY // THE BUILDING INDUSTRY PROBLEM
The heart of the problem when building industry professionals swap the original furniture and lighting on projects for blatant knock-offs has been succinctly headlined in a [...]

CASE STUDY // Miss Glass Home x Aldi Knock-offs
Retailer ALDI Australia advertised a near identical product to one created by the Melbourne-based brand Miss Glass Home. The story then went viral as social media feeds lit up with many views on the growing problem of big business knocking-off original work by independent design brands and local creators. ROBBED ON HOME TURF These David vs […]

WHY DO AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTIONS BUY REPLICA FURNITURE?
National Gallery Australia: NGA x Replica furniture As the problem with design theft escalates it’s clear that many national gallery, museum and public institution decision-makers simply don’t know what’s real and what’s fake. Either that, or they simply don’t care. But, sadly, replica furniture resides in many galleries and public institutions in Australia. Authenticity is […]