On Monday, 29th September, Stephen L. Sidkin, Partner at Commerce and Technology for Fox Williams LLP, Solicitors, conducted an enrichment session for the NEXT apprentices on Intellectual Property and the Fashion Industry.
The following was covered during the session:
- · Why Intellectual Property Matters in Fashion
- · Copyright in Fashion
- · Design Rights in Fashion
- · Trade Marks and Passing Off
- · Confidential Information and Trade Secrets
- · Patents in Fashion
- · Enforcement and Remedies
- · Working with Others
- · Case Studies
- · Practical Tips
The session was very informative. Stephen discussed several important topics related to intellectual property rights, which are essential for protecting a wide range of products. Whether it’s upcycled clothing, mass-market items, or brand-name products, intellectual property rights enable businesses to protect their brands.
Copyright is the oldest and most widely recognised form of intellectual property rights. In the fashion industry, it protects the original work of artists, including drawings, textile designs, logos, graphics, campaign artwork, and more. Importantly, copyright safeguards the expression of an idea rather than the idea itself. This means that while individuals cannot prevent others from copying a floral print, they can stop others from duplicating the specific shape of the flower.
Jenny Holloway said: “Thank you, Stephen Sidkin – real fashion apprenticeship training! Great session on intellectual property rights within our dynamic fashion industry this morning. Reviewed areas such as patents, passing off, registered v unregistered trademarks and particularly the potential grey areas of upcycling and sustainability in fashion with micro businesses! Excellent review of enforcement and remedies, too. This is all part of our commitment to excellence in our apprenticeship training provision, specifically for our Level 4 Product Technology with Next. A huge thank you again to Fox Williams for today’s enrichment session for our www.fcfta.com technical academy provision.”