Our trade mark attorneys, IP solicitors and patent attorneys know how to protect, enforce and grow fashion brands
Fashion combines art, design, branding and technology in a way that no other sector can.
Fashion is also one of the industries that can claim to be truly iconic, in terms of how it creates era-defining legacies, names and aesthetics.
However, whilst fashion can be characterised by quality, tradition and consistency, it is also a fast moving and intensely competitive sector, constantly evolving to reflect the latest social, cultural and environmental trends. And the internet and social media age is also changing the rate of trend setting and expanding the customer reach for fashion products.
This increased competition and pace of copying can leave fashion brands vulnerable. These vulnerabilities often stem from cracks in their intellectual property (IP) protection.
IP permeates through every link of the fashion supply and production chain, from design to production to retail to recycling.
In fact, the whole spectrum of IP rights can be encompassed in one fashion garment:
- Trade marks protect your brands and other identifiers such as images and shapes
- Copyright protects your design drawings and the artistic elements of your products, among other things
- Given the cyclical nature of fashion, short-term unregistered design rights can be extremely cost-effective in protecting the shape and configuration of the garment
- For classic fashion designs which are timeless in nature, fashion brands may look to long-lasting registered design rights to protect the design aesthetic
- Patents protect the technology behind unique production machinery and the science behind high-performance fabrics or wearable tech.
These IP rights protect you against the commercial threats posed by cheaper markets, legitimate competitors and counterfeit goods and designs: IP protection is business critical.
HOW CAN OUR TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS, IP SOLICITORS AND PATENT ATTORNEYS HELP YOU TO PROTECT, ENFORCE AND GROW YOUR FASHION BRANDS?
Fashion and textiles are in our DNA. Our roots are in Nottingham, the UK’s lace making capital. However, having expanded into London and across Europe, we are now in easy reach of Europe’s most fashion-centric cities.
Having worked with fashion and textiles since day one, we know how to protect and enforce the full spectrum of IP rights that exist in your brands and products.
We do this for two simple reasons, to safeguard the financial, artistic and technical investments you have made in your creations and to maximise the commercial value of your innovations.
We have vast experience in advising individuals and businesses operating in the fashion industry - from start-ups and small independents to multinational luxury brands and leading textile manufacturers - in all things IP.
Our experience also extends far beyond clothing; we work with jewellery and eyewear brands and manufacturers as well as advising online and social media influencers who play a key role in fashion marketing.
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU
We can advise you on the most strategic use of all your IP rights, and will always remain on hand to provide a wider commercial perspective to help build your brand and product portfolios.
The specific services we provide for the fashion industry include:
Trade marks
Our world-class in-house trade mark team specialise in “clearing the way”, as well as registering trade marks, for you to safely build powerful, exclusive and successful brands in every part of the world. We also provide trade mark watching services including our best in class online brand protection service.
Licensing
Our licensing specialists will help you to capture, exploit and protect your IP assets when collaborating with third parties, including drafting licences and collaboration and distribution agreements.
Patents and designs
Our patent attorneys work at the cutting edge of the technology being used to design and produce garments. They will advise you on how best to obtain and defend patents and design rights subsisting in, among other things, wearable tech and advanced fabric technologies.
Litigation
Our litigation team is highly skilled at deploying robust infringement and defensive strategies, including devising practical solutions against high-value anti-counterfeiting operations in the UK and the EU.
If you’d like to discuss how best to protect and commercialise your fashion innovations, products and designs with our specialist fashion team today, please contact us and one of our attorneys or IP solicitors will be in touch.
