Intellectual Property news and archive

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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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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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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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...