Intellectual Property news and archive

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...

BusinessFeatured

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...

BusinessFeatured

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...

RetailFeatured

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....

Business

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...

Business

Burberry wins trademark infringement case in China

British heritage fashion house Burberry has been awarded six million renminbi (675,668 pounds) in damages in a Chinese trademark infringement case. Lusheng, a Chinese law firm and patent agency specialising in multinational intellectual property, helped Burberry win the significant trademark infringement case against Chinese company Xinboli...

Background

Plagiarism in fashion: Why is there so much counterfeiting, and is it even allowed?

Trends have always traditionally been dedicated by the runway.The apparel industry looks to runway designs, haute couture as well as ready-to-wear,for inspiration. Designs are reinterpreted for a wider audience or diluted and made more accessible while being sold at ever-lower prices. Source: the article ‘Fashion: from catwalk to closet’ Some...

BusinessFeatured

Why western brands face intellectual property challenges in China

The jungle of intellectual property rights in China is full of horror stories. From trademark squatters, counterfeiters, parallel importers to brand owners fighting for the right to use their genuine names that were maliciously, yet legally, registered by others. Global fashion brands Dsquared2, Ice Iceberg, Disney Victoria’s Secret are just...

BusinessFeatured

European consumers facing more risks than ever due to fake products sold online

A new study by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) says consumers are facing ever more risks due to buying fake products online. A surge in e-commerce counterfeit from nearly every sector, including fashion, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, can pose great safety and health concerns. Findings from the study European Citizens and...

Fashion Featured

Shein, the Chinese fast fashion giant, is plagued for copying western brands

Shein, the Chinese fast fashion company making a splash in the west, is the latest Chinese platform allegedly selling counterfeit goods. Now the largest cross-border e-commerce player in China, Shein has seen fast growing audiences in the US, France, Russia, Germany and 200 other countries, but not without controversy. The explosion of Shein’s...

Fashion Featured

Mayan weavers oppose corporate theft of their patterns

Indigenous women weavers in Guatemala take action against a fashion industry that has been exploiting their culturally significant and often sacred patterns and symbols by copying them and using them for their own commercial purposes. The National Movement of Maya Weavers is made up of around 30 organisations from 18 linguistic communities in...

Business

UKTI to offer intellectual property master class

Fashion brands and designers wondering how Brexit will affect their intellectual property rights can take advantage of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) for a master class in IPR. The class will cover topics including design rights, trademarks, Internet domain names, dispute resolution, and international registration systems. The UK’s exit from...