Fashion and IP protection

It’s common for producers of fashionable clothing to rip off each other’s popular ideas, and unless an item of apparel carries a deceptive label American law will provide little legal recourse for the original innovator against the imitator. Why is American fashion design nonetheless a highly innovative field? And does a similar analysis carry over […]

It’s common for producers of fashionable clothing to rip off each other’s popular ideas, and unless an item of apparel carries a deceptive label American law will provide little legal recourse for the original innovator against the imitator. Why is American fashion design nonetheless a highly innovative field? And does a similar analysis carry over to other areas where legal protection against copycats is weak, such as furniture design, hairstyle design and the development of food recipes? Tyler Cowen wonders at Marginal Revolution (Feb. 27).

2 Comments

  • About 1 in 100 patents ever makes any money. 100 of 100 patent attorneys make good money.

    Do you now understand why this worthless anachronism from the 15th Century age of guilds persists?

  • Copyright protection for fashion?

    The Council of Fashion Designers of America is pushing legislation slated for introduction by Rep. Robert Goodlatte (R-Va.) that would allow fashion innovators to sue competitors who knock off their distinctive look (as distinct from…