Dive Brief:
- Stockholm-based Ikea has sent a blogger a cease-and-desist letter for infringing on its intellectual property rights and in it demands control of her blog’s domain name.
- Blogger Jules Yap runs IKEAhackers.net, where she demonstrates how to use Ikea products in creative ways to change how they look or might be used. Her site is popular enough to sell advertising and support itself and supplement her income.
- Yap says she was taken aback by Ikea’s strong approach and that she was willing to speak to someone there about the issue. Meanwhile, some legal experts doubt Ikea has much of a case.
Dive Insight:
Really, Ikea? One would think that in the era of social media the idea of sharing creative uses for cheap flat-pack furniture would be a boon to a retailer, rather than the inspiration for a legal roughing-up. Consumers have been taking liberties with Ikea products for years — in fact, the likes of Oprah routinely bring in designers on television to show people how to transform cheap factory furniture into unique pieces. It’s too bad Ikea didn’t embrace Yap’s website — it’s got the makings of an awesome Pinterest campaign.
