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28th January 2021
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Hettich actively protects innovations: commitment to property rights at Interzum
For Hettich, the Interzum is the leading trade fair for unveiling new products. For the first time the German criminal prosecution authorities were called on at Interzum 2013 to take action in stopping the infringement of property rights.
The Hettich Group constantly invests in researching and developing new products to make sure it stays competitive. It is innovative products like the Sensys hinge with integrated soft-close or the ArciTech drawer system that give Hettich the status of being technology leader on the market.
To safeguard the products developed and the financial resources invested in them, Hettich operates a broad, internationally based property-right strategy on registering patents, brands and designs. Worldwide, the Group takes legal action against property right infringements all the time. At Interzum 2013, Hettich had support from Cologne Criminal Investigation Department in connection with measures against what are predominantly non-European companies. With property rights being applied from the hinge, drawer runner, sliding door systems and upholstered furniture fittings segments, the sheer spectrum of Hettich's extensive property-right portfolio even impressed the suspected property-right infringers themselves.
In co-operation with patent agents, Hettich issued numerous warnings with cease-and-desist declarations while police officers from Cologne Criminal Investigation Department took action on many stands, confiscating products and rochures. The many hinges challenged and confiscated impressively demonstrate that Hettich has highly effective property rights particularly in the domain of hinges with soft-close, such as the Sensys hinge.
The campaign involving the German criminal prosecution authorities was also a clear signal emphasising just how resolute the Hettich Group is in taking action against the infringement of property rights in safeguarding the family-owned company's competitiveness and innovation-based brand value.
28th June 2013