News Reports:  1959-1960

In 1959 there seems to have been some infringing of G.Herrings registered designs as this advertisement appeared:

The Age (Melbourne), 29th April 1959 page 14.

That someone was General Plastics, their main competitor!

The Sydney Morning Herald, 14th September 1960 page 18.

The card on the left had been registered in 1948, and marketed from 1949. Around 1960 the card design changed to that in the middle. It is possible it changed because of General Plastics copy of this card for Woolworths.G. Herring may have felt that putting the cotton at the bottom was more distinct. The card on the right is the culprit design.

I agree that the card shapes were quite different and the branding clear, but to state that it was “possible” the defendant had copied the idea of selling cotton and buttons on the same card is ridiculous. Of course they had copied! However, apparently to copy is not to imitate!

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