Article Title

Couture Copyright: Copyright Protection Fitting for Fashion Design, 9 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 602 (2009)

Authors

Aleksandra Spevacek

Citations to This Work

• Tiffany Din Fagel Tse, Coco Way Before Chanel: Protecting Independent Fashion Designers' Intellectual Property Against Fast-Fashion Retailers, 24 Cath. U. J. L. & Tech. 401 (2016)
• Arianne Vanessa Josephine T. Jimenez, A Sui Generis System Of Protection For Exceptionally Original Fashion Designs, 36 Loy. L.A. Ent. L. Rev. 101 (2016)

Abstract

The fashion industry does not need special, protective legislation. Laws are already in place that can serve to aid in the protection of fashion design. Legislation has extended copyright protection to architectural plans and their associated structures. This extension was based on rationale that is applicable, without revision, to fashion design. The practice of denying protection to fashion design is unsupported by law. In fact, courts already have the means to grant protection to fashion design. First, the court can grant protection through analogy to architectural works. Second, the court can clarify the separability test for utilitarian designs—a test which often disqualifies fashion designs from protection—choosing one test instead of the patchwork of tests that is now in existence.

Recommended Citation

Aleksandra Spevacek, Couture Copyright: Copyright Protection Fitting for Fashion Design, 9 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 602 (2009)