Editing Fashion (section)

==Intellectual property==
[[File:Gross sales of goods vs IP laws (USA 2007).svg|thumb|Gross sales of goods vs IP laws (US 2007)]]
In the fashion industry, intellectual property is not enforced as it is within the [[film industry]] and [[music industry]]. Robert Glariston, an intellectual property expert, mentioned in a fashion seminar held in LA{{which|date=March 2014}} that "Copyright law regarding clothing is a current hot-button issue in the industry. We often have to draw the line between designers being inspired by a design and those outright stealing it in different places."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://outspoken.wpshower.com/2013/06/design-details-by-larger-companies-is-what-often/|title=Design details by larger companies is what often {{!}} Outspoken|website=outspoken.wpshower.com|date=9 June 2013 |access-date=2018-08-16}}</ref> To take inspiration from others' designs contributes to the fashion industry's ability to establish clothing trends. For the past few years, [[WGSN (fashion forecaster)|WGSN]] has been a dominant source of fashion news and forecasts in encouraging fashion brands worldwide to be inspired by one another. Enticing consumers to buy clothing by establishing new trends is, some have argued, a key component of the industry's success. Intellectual property rules that interfere with this process of trend-making would, in this view, be counter-productive. On the other hand, it is often argued that the blatant theft of new ideas, unique designs, and design details by larger companies is what often contributes to the failure of many smaller or independent design companies.

Since fakes are distinguishable by their poorer quality, there is still a demand for luxury goods, and as only a trademark or logo can be copyrighted, many fashion brands make this one of the most visible aspects of the garment or accessory. In handbags, especially, the designer's brand may be woven into the fabric (or the lining fabric) from which the bag is made, making the brand an intrinsic element of the bag.

In 2005, the [[World Intellectual Property Organization]] (WIPO) held a conference calling for stricter intellectual property enforcement within the fashion industry to better protect small and medium businesses and promote competitiveness within the textile and clothing industries.<ref>[http://www.ipfrontline.com/depts/article.asp?id=7678&deptid=8 IPFrontline.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510220626/http://www.ipfrontline.com/depts/article.asp?id=7678&deptid=8 |date=2007-05-10 }}: Intellectual Property in Fashion Industry, WIPO press release, December 2, 2005</ref><ref>[http://www.insme.org/page.asp?IDArea=1&page=sanleucio INSME announcement] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929090258/http://www.insme.org/page.asp?IDArea=1&page=sanleucio |date=2007-09-29 }}: WIPO-Italy International Symposium, 30 November – 2 December 2005</ref>