Blå Station defends originality against low-cost imitations
In an era where imitation thrives and price dictates value, Blå Station introduces P.Y.R.—short for Protect Your Rights—a chair by David Ericsson that challenges the boundaries of intellectual property and creative ownership. Unveiled at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2025, the design questions whether an idea, reduced to its essence and easy to replicate, can still be protected or if it should be free for all.
Blå Station’s Johan Lindau, CEO and design manager, envisions a world where originality is not overshadowed by low-cost imitations. ‘We don’t want that nowadays,’ he asserts. ‘In this world, our obvious choice is – the original,’ Johan Lindau highlights, advocating for a future where consumers recognize and choose the original over copies. P.Y.R challenges the notion that cheaper equals better, instead emphasizing the unseen investment behind design, the years of research, material selection, and technical refinement.
images courtesy of Blå Station
Can a simple, easily replicated design still be protected?
The rise of fast consumption and algorithm-driven trends has diminished the gap between innovation and replication. While consumers seek uniqueness, the market favors mass production, rewarding knockoffs that arrive quicker and cheaper. The Swedish brand Blå Station confronts this paradox, arguing that prioritizing price over quality leads to a downward spiral where even the imitators eventually fall victim to replication.
The intersecting planes of the chair, its cantilevered elements, and raw materiality aim to balance between stability and sculptural form. Made from sustainably sourced EU wood and available in multiple colors, P.Y.R.’s wide stance and intersecting beams provide a solid foundation, while the subtle tilt of the seat adds an unexpected sense of comfort to its rigid geometry.
P.Y.R. questions whether design protection can still hold weight in a world where ‘almost the same’ has become acceptable. With this launch, Blå Station presents its new product, igniting a debate on the future of intellectual property and urging designers, consumers, and legislators to reconsider the value of the original.
P.Y.R. stands for Protect Your Rights
the chair by David Ericsson challenges the boundaries of intellectual property and creative ownership
unveiled at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2025
