Fashionlawbriefs.com, the brainchild of the law office of Kane Russell Coleman & Logan PC, is a great source on fashion industry legal matters that concern everyone along the supply chain. In this recent post, writers Jennifer Schultz and Jessica Bruder discuss design patents, trade dress, and dual design protection.

Design Patents and Trade Dress: A Fashion Pairing as Good as Dolce & Gabbana

In today’s world everything is fast, including fashion. Fashion has traditionally relied on a calendar that showcases seasonal collections six months early, then makes pieces of the collection available a month or so before the season starts. But following this traditional calendar makes designer collections easy prey for fast-fashion retailers in the business of turning out trendy pieces faster than a designer’s collection reaches retail and at lower price-points. Fortunately, design patents and trade dress protection offer designers a way to keep their innovative designs from appearing on fast-fashion retail racks within days of a runway debut.
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