Fashion Copyright Bill

[Lane]

do you consider that good or bad news?

[Shucks]

WASHINGTON — Fashion designers and apparel brands seeking protection from Congress for their designs moved a step closer on Wednesday after the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed a bill that would provide three years of copyright protection for “unique and original designs.”

The bill, known as the “Innovative Design Protection and Piracy Prevention Act,” will expand copyright right laws for the first time to include fashion designs that are often the target of knock-off artists who replicate and profit off of another designer’s creation.

thx for update - will be looking this up.

[Faust]

do you consider that good or bad news?

Good news for big companies, bad news for small designers. Whoever has more lawyers wins on this one, and it ain't Zam Barret. In general, I am against copyright laws for fashion, although I fully understand the desire to protect one's work.

[Shucks]

as i said before, since the US bill basically is modelled on the EU's unregistered protection for design and which in the EU is hardly ever used, i wouldn't worry so much about the effects of this new bill. i don't think it will be used much in practice.

[messenoire]

who will be first in the race to stamp a copyright on a funnel neck?

[syed]

Thought this might be of interest. I thought it was quite interesting on how she describes trends arising from some form of copying. Tom Ford said that the counterfeit customer was not the same as the actual customer, and whilst that is true, for smaller designers I am sure that would actually make a huge dent on their business. Then again I suppose full counterfeits tend to rely on mega labels, but I think the same idea can be applied to chain stores who do, and have, ripped off small independent designers (esp. jewelry designers!).

I would like to think that consumers go for the real thing, which encapsulates greater thought, creativity and work, but I fear that for most they only care about having the latest trend and surface aesthetic regardless of it being a cheap imitation.

With regards to the Act passing, I doubt it will have any major impact, judging by how similar laws have progressed in the EU and Japan.

[syed]

http://www.ted.com/talks/johanna_blakley_lessons_from_fashion_s_free_culture.html

Was going to post this in the TED thread, but thought it would be better here. Along the same lines as the video above. Plus I love her jacket.

[Faust]

who will be first in the race to stamp a copyright on a funnel neck?

Ralph Lauren.