The Functionality Doctrine: Utilitarian and Aesthetic Functionality Explained
A brand can build a famous look around a feature that also does useful work. A red sole helps a shoe stand out on…
Mickey Mouse in the Public Domain: What Fashion Brands Can and Cannot Do
Steamboat Willie's Mickey is free to copy in the US, but later versions and Disney's trade marks are not. What brands can put on…
From Prompt to Polyester: Regulating AI-Generated Fashion Imagery under Indian Consumer Protection Law
In fashion e-commerce, consumers cannot physically inspect garments before purchase and therefore depend on digital product information, including product imagery, to assess their appearance,…
The Coogan Law in California: How a 1939 Statute Protects Child Earnings
Few laws carry a person’s name as much as the Coogan Law. It takes its title from Jackie Coogan, the child actor whose earnings…
Beyond the Scent: Chanel No. 5 and the Legal Protection of Iconic Perfume Bottle Designs in the EU
Protecting product packaging in the luxury fashion and beauty industries is increasingly important, to the point that packaging itself contributes to brand recognition and…
Is It Illegal to Buy Replica Bags? US, EU and UAE Rules Compared
Is buying replica bags illegal? How the US, EU, France, Italy, the UK and the UAE treat buyers, owners and sellers of rep bags,…
Virtual Try On Tech: The Biometric Privacy Lawsuits Brands Face
Virtual try on tools map shoppers' faces. Why that triggers BIPA class actions, what courts have ruled, and how brands can stay compliant.…
Golden Goose Dupes: When a Distressed-Sneaker Look Becomes Trade Dress
Golden Goose dupes copy the pre-worn sneaker look. When that is legal, when the star or overall design makes it infringing, and what buyers…
Bamboo Fabric: Why “Bamboo” Labels Get Brands Fined by the FTC
Most bamboo fabric is rayon or viscose. The labelling rules in the US, EU and UK, and the FTC penalties paid by Kohl's, Walmart…
Vegan Leather: Labelling Rules and Why “Leather” Is a Legal Word
Vegan leather labelling explained: the FTC Leather Guides, EU footwear rules, Italy and France's leather name laws and Germany's apple leather case.…
The Legal Protection Gap for Indigenous Fashion Designs
Indigenous fashion goes beyond clothes; it is an indicator of a people and culture’s history, identity, beliefs, and cultural heritage. Traditional textiles, handwoven fabrics,…
The CMA’s New Fining Power: What the UK’s DMCC Act Means for Fashion Brands
For most of its history, the UK’s consumer regulator could not fine a business for a consumer law breach without first going to court.…
Can Your Body Shape Become a Commercial Asset?
In fashion today, how we look is more than who we are. Factors like height, body shape, facial features, unique silhouettes, and overall appearance…
LVMH Brands List 2026: Every House the Group Owns and How It Bought Them
The full list of LVMH brands in 2026, the prices behind Tiffany, Bulgari and Loro Piana, the 2024 to 2026 sales, and who controls…
Victorian Fashion: Corsets, Crinolines and the Laws Behind Them
Victorian fashion explained: corsets, crinolines and bustles, the arsenic and fire dangers, and the laws on poison, factory hours and women's property.…
Amazon Brand Registry for Fashion Brands: Requirements and How Takedowns Work
What Amazon Brand Registry requires in 2026, which trademark offices and pending statuses it accepts, and how takedowns and Project Zero work.…
What Is Intellectual Property? A Fashion Brand’s Plain-English Guide
What is intellectual property? The types of IP a fashion brand owns, how to get each right, how long it lasts and what it…