In the fashion industry, IP (Intellectual Property) is very important. Stealing another person’s IP can get you into a massive amount of trouble, not to mention damage your brand. However, it’s fairly common for fashion houses to rip each other off. They tend to do this subtly.Mimicking silhouettes and designs is usually legal, if a little unethical. Outright stealing of designs is not allowed, however. If you work in the fashion industry and want to learn why IP matters and how you can protect yourself and your business from lawsuits, read on to find out more.
IP law helps to safeguard brand identity. This is because it stops fraudsters from being able to recreate your designs. Because designs are kept exclusive, this prevents people from being able to oversaturate markets with cheap copies and confuse customers as to who you are, what your brand does, and which companies are affiliated with the designs you produce.
When you are able to safeguard brand identity and keep your business’s designs unique to it, you strengthen brand recognition. The more people see your designs, the more they will associate them with your brand. Improving overall brand recognition can be a highly effective way to improve your relationship with customers and increase the number of sales you make.
IP law helps prop up independent brands. This is because their designs cannot be stolen by larger companies. Because larger companies cannot steal designs, independent companies that come up with ones that become popular with consumers can build reputations for themselves and attract loyal and consistent clientele who enjoy the products they manufacture.
In fashion, you cannot steal another company’s design. Doing so could get you into a lot of trouble. This encourages innovation because fashion brands have to come up with their own unique designs. If they do not, they could not only end up in court facing legal troubles, but they could also lose respect in the eyes of consumers. Consumers may come to think of a brand that steals designs as unoriginal, lacking in inspiration, or just outright lazy.
When your brand is protected by IP law, you don’t have to worry about market oversaturation destroying the value of your products. If you ever do find yourself in a situation where another business is trying to steal products you have designed and remarket them as their own, it’s absolutely essential that you get in touch with a lawyer. A lawyer will be able to work closely with you to identify IP theft and help you to get the money you are owed (and also prosecute the person responsible for stealing your designs and selling or advertising them as their own).
A problem a lot of fashion brands face is their products being copied again and again and diluted to the point that it’s impossible to tell where the original design came from. IP law prevents people from being able to outright copy designs, and while it’s still technically possible to create somewhat similar copies, it makes theft impossible.
If you have a brand that you want people to invest in, you need to give investors confidence. Copyrighting your designs is a good way to do this. Then, investors do not have to worry about them being stolen and the brand being devalued.
Craftsmanship is something a lot of designers do not think much about, especially in today’s fast-fashion world. Preserving the craftsmanship of your designs is possible when you take time to learn about IP law. IP law can ensure that the people behind your brand don’t have their hard work stolen and repurposed.IP law is something you must know about if you want to start and run a successful business. The easiest way to learn about IP law is to get in touch with an attorney who specializes in it. An attorney will be able to work with you to help you protect your designs and take your brand to the next level.
