Shoe components company protects all its models and has processes in five countries.
In Atlanta Componentes de Calçado, the new products are presented to the clients in the factory itself, in Lixa.
In Atlanta Componentes de Calçado, the new products are presented to the clients in the factory itself, in Lixa.
“It is an additional protection measure against copies of our models before they are even sold on the market,” explains Joana Meireles, administrator of the largest sole manufacturer on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the largest in Europe.
It is the fourth phase of a process of defending internal innovations that began in 2004, when Atlanta stopped participating in trade fairs with its own exhibitor because of copies “until they took photographs and stole the soles on display,” he says.
For a while, the company still participated with closed, invitation-only stands, but the measure proved controversial among visitors and, in the next stage, Atlanta decided to present the new models in a hotel, a solution that evolved into the current model, in which clients visit the company itself, “where everything happens”.
With a production capacity of 20,000 soles per day, for a turnover of €5 million, 98% of which is for export, Atlanta works with brands such as Hush Puppies, Marlboro, Lefties, Pataugas, Inditex and Gabor, and fears that “customers might think that the company itself is somehow behind the goodies”.
The risk is greater when it comes to solutions considered innovative. Internally, atlanta has 6 people working full time in innovation and design, in total 55 direct jobs. But this contingent is reinforced with subcontracted teams in the moulds, rubber and finishing segments. “They are micro-companies that work exclusively for us,” explains Joana Meireles, preparing the launch of a new sole prefabrication unit with a different assembly system and more sweet workers.
Going to Spain?
Sales, which have been growing in recent years, should increase by another 15% in 2011, “due to an art for this new unit”, but things are far from running smoothly, and recently management has been considering “abandoning Portugal” and moving production to Spain.
Why? “Simply because industrial property defence in Spain works better,” says Joana Meireles. In fact, the company has already written to APICCAPS – Footwear Industrialists Association, to the government and to ASAE – Food and Economic Security Authority, stating its concerns about the defence of industrial property rights in the country.
Accustomed to spending 30% of its budget on the development of innovative solutions such as an orthopaedic shoe that favours a corrective posture, Atlanta is currently taking legal action in Spain, Portugal, Germany, France and the Netherlands to defend its soles against international copies and does not hesitate to say that “it is better protected abroad”.
National record holder in the registration of rights at a European level in the OHM – Office for Harmonization in the International Market, where it totals 1015 active models or 25% of the national total, of the same concrete examples of the differences in the Iberian Peninsula in this area.
In 2008, when he saw shoes incorporating a copy of one of his soles on sale in Portugal and Spain, he filed complaints in both countries. “In Spain, local authorities immediately seized 61 thousand pairs. In Portugal, the authorities took almost a year to intervene and ended up seizing only 7 pairs”, he says. “In 2009, we filed another complaint in Portugal and have only now been notified to be heard.” When it comes to fashion items, “the useful effect of these interventions is obviously lost”, he comments. M.C.
“We stopped exhibiting at fairs because of the copies. They would even take photographs and steal the soles put on,” says Joana Meireles.
Source: Expresso Newspaper
It is the fourth phase of a process of defending internal innovations that began in 2004, when Atlanta stopped participating in trade fairs with its own exhibitor because of copies “until they took photographs and stole the soles on display,” he says.
For a while, the company still participated with closed, invitation-only stands, but the measure proved controversial among visitors and, in the next stage, Atlanta decided to present the new models in a hotel, a solution that evolved into the current model, in which clients visit the company itself, “where everything happens”.
With a production capacity of 20,000 soles per day, for a turnover of €5 million, 98% of which is for export, Atlanta works with brands such as Hush Puppies, Marlboro, Lefties, Pataugas, Inditex and Gabor, and fears that “customers might think that the company itself is somehow behind the goodies”.
The risk is greater when it comes to solutions considered innovative. Internally, atlanta has 6 people working full time in innovation and design, in total 55 direct jobs. But this contingent is reinforced with subcontracted teams in the moulds, rubber and finishing segments. “They are micro-companies that work exclusively for us,” explains Joana Meireles, preparing the launch of a new sole prefabrication unit with a different assembly system and more sweet workers.
Going to Spain?
Sales, which have been growing in recent years, should increase by another 15% in 2011, “due to an art for this new unit”, but things are far from running smoothly, and recently management has been considering “abandoning Portugal” and moving production to Spain.
Why? “Simply because industrial property defence in Spain works better,” says Joana Meireles. In fact, the company has already written to APICCAPS – Footwear Industrialists Association, to the government and to ASAE – Food and Economic Security Authority, stating its concerns about the defence of industrial property rights in the country.
Accustomed to spending 30% of its budget on the development of innovative solutions such as an orthopaedic shoe that favours a corrective posture, Atlanta is currently taking legal action in Spain, Portugal, Germany, France and the Netherlands to defend its soles against international copies and does not hesitate to say that “it is better protected abroad”.
National record holder in the registration of rights at a European level in the OHM – Office for Harmonization in the International Market, where it totals 1015 active models or 25% of the national total, of the same concrete examples of the differences in the Iberian Peninsula in this area.
In 2008, when he saw shoes incorporating a copy of one of his soles on sale in Portugal and Spain, he filed complaints in both countries. “In Spain, local authorities immediately seized 61 thousand pairs. In Portugal, the authorities took almost a year to intervene and ended up seizing only 7 pairs”, he says. “In 2009, we filed another complaint in Portugal and have only now been notified to be heard.” When it comes to fashion items, “the useful effect of these interventions is obviously lost”, he comments. M.C.
“We stopped exhibiting at fairs because of the copies. They would even take photographs and steal the soles put on,” says Joana Meireles.
Source: Expresso Newspaper