• SHORT-TERM WINS IN OUR LONG TERM VISION // Since relaunching in 2016, we staunchly advocated for the introduction of a minimum 12-month ‘Grace Period’, which was ratified on March 10th, 2022. Our sights are now set on extending registered design protection from the current 10 years. Our long game is to see the replica sector criminalised, and for automatic copyright protection for furnishings in line with other creative disciplines.

 

• ADA® CONSULTATION WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES // Our team has been in consultation with IP Australia (2016 – ongoing), PCIP, the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Intellectual Property (2016-2018), Designs Review: IP Australia review into design systems (2018-2021), DFAT (Free Trade Agreements EU/UK 2021-ongoing), Border Forces and other Federal departments. Read IP Australia four reports from Designs Review

 

• PARTNERSHIPS + NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS //  Australian Copyright Council, Australian Design Centre, Design Canberra, Design Tasmania, Craft ACT, Factory Design District, Good Design Australia, JamFactory, and Sydney Craft Week. Meet our Affiliate Partners

 

• DESIGN EVENTS + INSTALLATIONS // VIVID Sydney; Women in Design (Design Tasmania), InDesign (Melbourne, Sydney), DENFair, Design Canberra Festival, Melbourne Design Week, and Sydney Design Festival have hosted ADA events had more than 25,000 visitors 2016-2019.
  

 

• TALKS + WORKSHOPS // Annually, we present 25 talks, seven panels, and ten workshops, and create unique installations at public and industry events. During 2016-2019 more than 7,000 design supporters joined our talks at Melbourne Design Week. Vivid Sydney, DENFAIR, Sydney Design Festival, Good Design Australia, Design Canberra Festival, M Pavilion, and our independent program. Get News + Event updates
  

 

• HOME.GROWN. Discovering Australian Design // Our 3-day event ran during Sydney Design Festival 2019. More than 3000 visitors celebrated work by 175 local designers and 100 Australian brands – our first stand-alone ADA design festival at the century-old landmark Mungo Scott Flour Mill.
  

 

• DESIGN-MADE. + 3 days of design // In partnership with Factory Design District, we launched our own 3-day design event in Sydney in 2017. Learn more at design-made.org // Follow @design_made_

 

• ADA® AWARD PARTNERS // AUTHENTIC DESIGN ALLIANCE® ‘Award of Merit’ is now presented in partnership with GOOD DESIGN AWARDS, vivid design competition, LaunchPad, Design Fringe (formerly Fringe Furniture) with Melbourne Fringe Festival, and Workshopped to encourage and applaud design innovation.

 

• ADA vs AUSTRALIAN PCIP REVIEW // Over 10 weeks in 2016 the ADA® secured 42 industry submissions and made 24 appearances at the PCIP inquiry into Australian Intellectual Property laws. Supported by our legal partners Banki Haddock Fiora, we reviewed the 700+ page PCIP report, Read more here
  

 

• RESEARCH + CASE STUDIES // The Government Productivity Commission report cited a lack of ‘empirical evidence’ that Australian designers and businesses lose out financially to design theft – so we’re collating case studies and joining research groups. Read Case Studies
  

 

• STATE GOV THINK TANKS + RESEARCH BODIES // ADA contributed to a research paper on how design increases manufacturing (delivered to the Victorian State Government); joined CREATE NSW (State Government) creative industries think tank; and Australian Copyright Council policy strategy roundtables. 

 

• ADA Newspapers // Our Broadsheet newspapers have an annual circulation of 20,000 copies to support our partners and promote awareness about the original design – download or read ADA Newspapers here
  

 

• EDUCATING JOURNALISTS + DRIVING STRATEGIC PR CAMPAIGNS // It can take a few weeks to educate a journalist about the nuances of IP, design laws, and the problems surrounding the replica industry. Mainstream media writers are not ‘design literate’ and frequently promote replica brands when listing recommended retailers. We need our own team to continue this education.

 

• STRATEGIC WORK ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA // We have successfully had several replica auctions and countless photographic infringements wiped from social media and websites; whilst we encourage SM best practice in posts and comments, we stringently defend blatant instances of design theft being passed off as ‘new’

 

• BANNING REPLICAS & COPIES FROM AUSTRALIAN TRADE FAIRS // We worked closely with Decor+Design show (12,000 visitors) on a 4-year plan to eradicate copies from the event, a goal achieved 12 months early (read more here). The ADA has strategically partnered with DENfair since 2016. Exhibitors agree to a strict ‘no copies’ mandate, and any knock-offs will be immediately removed from the exhibition (7,500 visitors). With the newly rebooted DENfair, co-located with Interiors Australia (13,000 visitors), we have expanded the partnership for the 2022 debut event.