Why the Authentic Design Alliance?
About the Authentic Design Alliance (ADA)
The ADA is a member-funded industry association that exists to protect original furniture and lighting design by local and international brands and designers.
We educate about the damage caused by replica furniture, knockoffs, and broader design theft that undermine authentic furniture and lighting designs.
Working closely with the people creating innovative products and the businesses that bring them to market to support a sustainable future for the furnishing and interior design sector.
Since relaunching as ADA 2.0 with Good Design Australia in 2016, our advocacy, education and events have grown into a national program.
2026 celebrates a decade since our relaunch
The ten-year ADA 3.0 milestone in 2026 marks a decade of this expanded phase.
We support designers, brands, importers, distributors, retailers and specifiers who want clear ways to support original furniture and lighting brands.
Explore our Expanded Program, which rolls out in 2026, and ADA membership benefits.
Origin story
The ADA began in 2010 when furniture importers and distributors Cult, Living Edge, Euroluce, Stylecraft, and Ke-Zu joined forces.
In the early 2000s, cheap furniture copies began flooding the Australian market and undermining both Australian designers and the international brands the distributors represented.
I can’t believe it is legal to use my name to sell knock-offs of my own collections in Australia!
Tom Dixon
They aimed to take legal action against the biggest replica retailer in the sector. This proved to be cost-prohibitive, with estimated legal fees nearing $750,000.
In 2011, Herman Miller challenged retailer Matt Blatt over the misuse of the word ‘Eames’. It claimed customers were misled when counterfeit products used the names ‘Charles and Ray Eames’ to market and sell cheap, unauthorised copies of Eames products, licensed to Herman Miller.
Settled out of court, whilst Herman Miller ‘won’ the action, the Australian High Court ruled that as long as the word ‘replica’ is used, the original designer and brand name can legally be used to sell copies.
ADA reboot: new team, new remit
In 2015, the founders handed governance to an independent team led by Anne-Maree Sargeant (AMS). After a year of sector research and consultation, ADA 2.0 relaunched in 2016 with a clear mission and national advocacy program.
Today, the ADA operates as a purpose-led social enterprise.
Membership, events and partnerships fund education, campaigns and our ongoing policy work on design copyright and IP reform.
The problem with design theft
Replica furniture, knockoffs and copies undercut the original design at every level.
Retailers can legally use the designer name and product name to sell their own versions of authentic products.
A successful product creates an inome stream.
A successful collection creates a sub-economy.
Customers assume these products are authorised when they are not. This makes it harder for original furniture and lighting brands and their licensed partners to compete.
Low-cost copies are often poorly made and have short lifespans. This feeds a throwaway mindset and a stream of junk furniture to kerbsides and landfill. We call this disposable decorating.
Disposable decorating fuels landfil.
If you have $200 for a chair, find a $200 chair, not a $200 copy of a $1200 chair! Authentic Design Alliance, AMS
Online search and social media make it easy to find the best-selling designs to copy. Manufacturers can rejig specs and churn out low-cost look-alikes.
With just a few clicks, anyone can find the cheapest copy of a recognisable design, rather than supporting authentic furniture and lighting design.
Who loses?
The result is broad damage:
Designers and brands lose income and long-term value from their work.
- Manufacturers and distributors lose orders to inferior products
- Retailers who invest in authentic ranges struggle to compete on price alone
- Customers miss out on quality, safety, warranty and repair
- Fast Furniture, like fast fashion, is a critical environmental issue
- Short-lived products end up as waste
The ADA exists to help stop the sale of replica furniture in Australia and to support people who specify and buy authentic products.
Authentic Design Alliance Pty Ltd was established in 2017 with support from legal partners Banki Haddock Fiora.
Our business entity is a for-profit social enterprise operating as a purpose-led industry association.
Director Anne-Maree Sargeant leads a small core team. We work with independent advisors across law, strategy, design, sustainability, media and marketing.
Announcing our ADA Board: Coming March 2026
As part of our 10-year milestone, our expanded remint will be overseen by a non-executive board to be announced in March 2026.
The board will be supported by an advisory structure and specialist groups to help guide strategy and governance.
Platinum and Gold members contribute to think tanks and roundtables that guide advocacy priorities, education focus and future program planning.
Funding comes from membership, partnerships, sponsorship and in-kind support. This keeps the ADA independent from replica retailers and accountable to our members and stakeholders.
Learn more about membership tiers, benefits and how to get involved on the JOIN THE ADA page.
What we do
Our purpose is to protect and promote original furniture and lighting design, and to shift buying habits toward authentic products that last.
1. Educate
We produce talks, workshops, articles and resources that explain design history, making processes, licensing, sustainability and the impact of replicas.
We promote #buywellbuyonce thinking for homes, workplaces and public spaces.
2. Advocate for better IP protection
We work with IP specialists, government agencies, and partner organisations on design copyright and IP reform to ensure three-dimensional design is protected in line with comparable markets.
3. Advocating to outlaw copies
We run public campaigns, pledges, and media projects that expose the harms of replicas and support authentic, local, and international products.
4. Sharing design with a broader audience
We open up design conversations beyond industry. Our events and media invite design-interested consumers and businesses to understand and support original furniture and lighting brands.
5. Support and connect members
Members use the ADA authenticity badge, logos and pledges to signal their commitment to original design. The ADA community connects members through events, mentoring, roundtables and collaborative projects.
6. Industry partnerships
Industry associations, including Good Design Australia and JamFactory, support the Authentic Design Alliance. We also partner with design weeks, trade shows and major events. View our Affiliates and strategic partnerships with leading Australian events and awards programs.
Our expanded national program covers talks, exhibitions, installations, awards and campaigns.