Intellectual Property news and archive

Lululemon vs. Costco dupe lawsuit: Understanding the legal battle

Lululemon sued Costco over the sale of dupes. A dupe is a product that mimics a more expensive item's look and feel to capitalise on its reputation, without necessarily copying the brand name. This dispute is one of a series of recent altercations involving brands against private labels. These brands, which tend to have the strongest reputations...

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Fashion |

Bidermann vs. Massimo Dutti case: Is the family name the riskiest contract clause for designers?

The story of Aurélie Bidermann, a renowned jewellery designer, is a textbook case in intellectual property law, particularly regarding the value and assignment of a designer's family name. The case is pitting the designer against AMS Design, the company holding her brand assets following judicial reorganisation, and indirectly against retailer...

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Fashion

Making sense of UKIPO's design law consultation: Key areas of reform

Are you involved in or affected by UK design laws? Do you have views on the current design registration and protection regime? Now is your chance to make a difference! On 4 September 2025, the UK’s Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) launched a major consultation on potentially significant reforms to the UK’s designs framework. This was...

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Business

UK government launches consultation to reform IP protection for design sector

The UK government has launched a new comprehensive consultation to explore potential reforms for the region’s design sector, with a particular focus on modernising intellectual property (IP) protection in a post-Brexit landscape. With this, the government said it is seeking expertise from the UK’s design community, from independent creators to...

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Euipo reaches five million trademark applications

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has reached a milestone of five million applications for European Union Trade Marks (EUTMs) and Registered Community Designs (RCDs) since its founding in 1994. "These applications protect companies, entrepreneurs and innovations that shape our future. This milestone reflects the dynamism...

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Retail

Louis Vuitton is the most counterfeited luxury brand, according to new report

Counterfeits have been a sharp thorn in the side of luxury fashion houses for decades. Dating back to ancient Roman times, counterfeiting within the fashion industry underwent a surge of popularity in the late 1970s, thanks to the rise of designer jeans. With several copycats trying to mark and sell duplicated designs and styles for a fraction...

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Make It Fair: How UK creative industries are fighting back against Big Tech AI

The rapid technological advancements of the past year have caused a significant global shift, leaving many struggling to keep up. The long-term impact of dominant technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), on specific industries remains uncertain. In the UK, tensions surrounding such a topic have risen in recent months, as the...

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WHP Global to acquire IP of Vera Wang, founder to remain onboard as Chief Creative Officer

New York-based brand management firm WHP Global has signed an agreement to acquire the intellectual property (IP) of the fashion brand Vera Wang. As part of the agreement, the founder and chief creative officer of her eponymous brand Vera Wang will remain in her role and join WHP Global as a shareholder to further drive the brand’s future...

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Business

What to know when using your name for your brand

When creating a new business or brand, one of the many issues to be considered is what to call it. For a designer, the most obvious naming choice is to use their own name, or a variant of their own name. It is common practice within the fashion and cosmetics industries for a designer or founder to name the brand after themself, and there can be...

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Now fashion week is over, what is next for your designs?

We’ve watched the new collections strut down the runway, but now that fashion week is over, what should designers be thinking about in terms of IP protection? Written by Emma Day (IA trainee) and Harriet Berridge (IA director and fashion lead), Stobbs If you need a recap on designs, Stobbs touched on registered and unregistered designs in a...

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Retail

Amazon implements new policy on fragrance sales in EU and UK markets

Amazon's Marketplace, a platform that hosts millions of independent sellers, has long been a popular destination for consumers seeking beauty and fragrance products. However, the e-commerce giant has recently announced a significant policy change affecting the sale of certain fragrances in the European Union (EU) and United Kingdom (UK) markets....

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Luxury brands bolster IP defences as handbag market booms

The allure of designer handbags has long attracted counterfeiters, prompting luxury brands to employ a multi-faceted approach to intellectual property protection, according to insights from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) magazine. The global handbag market, projected to reach 68.31 billion dollars this year according to...