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Fashion,
turn to the left
Fashion,
turn to the right
Ooh fashion
We are the goon squad and we’re coming to town
Beep-beep, beep-beep
The fashion and textiles industry is huge both in the UK and globally and involves vast sums of money. It is one of the most creative industries in the world. According to the Value of the UK Fashion Industry report commissioned by the British Fashion Council, it contributes an impressive £21 billion to the British economy. The industry has continued to expand, despite the shrinking economy. In the past decade sales of UK designer fashion have increased by approximately 20%.
An increasingly globalised industry such as fashion brings with it, it’s own challenges. There are a variety of issues pertinent to this fast changing and constantly evolving industry.
In the context of the growing importance of the fashion industry it is essential to consider the importance of intellectual property “IP” of fashion designs and brands.
Intellectual property is a form of property. Just like physical property it can be sold, bought, inherited or otherwise transferred, like any property rights IP law allows the owner to benefit from their work and investment in that creation. It is a valuable asset. It is vital that businesses identify such valuable assets and invest accordingly in protecting them through the intellectual property framework. It is hugely important that designers recognise creative Intellectual Property “IP” rights as financial assets and place importance.
So if you have a fashion brand.
Here are some random thoughts :-
1.Classes – Class 25 and Class 35 are essential classes , that is clothing and online sales. Consider filing both word and word logo ie Nike and Nike Swoosh.
2. Spend some time at the UKIPO’s website – (The UKIPO is the website devoted to intellectual property in the UK https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/intellectual-property-office).
https://www.gov.uk/topic/intellectual-property/trade-marks
CARRY OUT A SEARCH FIRST
It is not essential but wise to do so. In fact its silly to proceed without a search first.
It’s ‘like you are filing blind’. So, do your homework. Some marks are obvious, for example don’t try and register Nika or Nikka for shoes or clothing as you will be stopped by Nike (of course!). Often, it’s not that simple but if you do your homework and apply the law, it may save you several headaches later.
The search facility is here: –
