Fordham Law is launching the Fashion Law Institute next fall to train fashion lawyers and provide legal services for the fashion industry. The center is supported by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and its President Diane von Furstenberg.  From the Fashion Law Institute : Working in partnership with CFDA, the Institute will [...]

At TEDxUSC 2010, Johanna Blakley, Deputy Director of the Norman Lear Center (University of Southern California), talks about the benefits of fashion’s free culture. At the outset, Blakely notes how fashion design runs against the idea/expression dichotomy of copyright law. Having the “broadest palette imaginable” she contends, establishes trends and allows fast fashion apparel companies [...]

The Congressional Apparel Manufacturing and Fashion Business Caucus was approved by Washington’s Committee on House Administration last week.  The group, co-chaired by Diane E. Watson (D., Calif.), Jerrold Nadler (D., N.Y.) and Carolyn B. Maloney (D., N.Y.), will introduce a bill that affords 3 year copyright protection to apparel designs. While trademark law prohibits counterfeit [...]