Earlier in the year, Dyson is launched a legal action against vacuum cleaner rival Vax, claiming the
Vax Mach Zen model infringes the 15 year old registered design of its first bagless cylinder vacuum cleaner - a claim Vax denies.
James Dyson said: 'Vax's Chinese owners have flagrantly copied a Dyson design. We defend our intellectual property and design rights, protecting our inventions and setting a precedent on behalf of other designers. After all, plagiarism is a form of theft.'
Dyson says the DCO2 vacuum cleaner is an 'instantly recognisable vacuum cleaner'. In an official statement Vax said it would be vigorously defending the case and was 'confident of victory'. The company added that the the Vax Mach Zen had been independently designed by British designers at its UK headquarters.
Vax said: 'Vax respects James Dyson as a fellow designer, however, times have moved on. The registered design for Dyson's first "bagless" cyclonic cylinder vacuum is over 15 years old. The Vax Mach Zen has 350 air watts and is therefore much more powerful than the machine in the Dyson registered design.'
In July, The High Court rejected Dyson's claim that the design of the Vax Mach Zen vacuum cleaner was 'flagrantly copied' from the Dyson DC02. But the High Court has ruled in Vax's favour - a judgment a Dyson spokesperson described as 'a bit of a travesty'. Dyson says it is considering an appeal.
Simon Lawson, the managing director of Vax, said: 'We are really pleased with today's decision as it confirms what we've known all along – that the Vax Mach Zen is different to any other vacuum cleaner people can buy.'
In an official statement, Dyson said: 'For Dyson, this case was about pure aesthetic design, not function. What is the point of UK Registered Design law if not to protect novel and striking designs such as the DC02 design?'
What do you think? Here is the DC02:
Here is the Vax machine in question:
We say: Dyson needn't worry too much. Most Vax machines only tend to last about six months anyway. Parts availability isn't great, and Vax's "customer helpline" is always engaged. Most Vax machines people bring into our shop are beyond economical repair when still less than a year old.