Product development and intellectual property laws are intertwined in their focus of protecting the fashion industry. With this, the laws identify trademarks, names, source, and logos within the fashion industry and focuses on protection of the same against copying and raids by pirates (Blakley 1). As such, the fashion industry attains a safe market, which is free from disputes based on trademarks designs and rights. Trademark depicts a valuable company asset, which in the fashion industry contributes towards attainment of a big economic impact. The key target areas of the fashion law are the photographers, designers, retail chains, models, high fashion houses and manufacturers among other individuals. Thus, these laws have an obligation of ensuring that copying does not occur and these persons engage in the best practice of ensuring originality in all their activities in the fashion industry.
Fashion industry product development laws involve other legal practices, which include employment law, corporate law, public relations, marketing strategies and export/import of goods. The main aim of these laws is the provision of legal advice to all stakeholders of the fashion industry and contributes towards the enforcement of the intellectual property rights. Public relations and corporate affairs areas are also influenced by these laws. Unfair competition and counterfeit goods cause extreme damage to the fashion industry. As such, fashion attorneys should have the ability to comprehend unique fashion industry elements and develop a passionate feeling in the gleaming world. Hence, all the goods within this industry need national legislations in order to ensure that the growth of the industry is promoted and creativity level of the designers enhanced.
Impact of the intellectual laws
Intellectual property rights contribute towards economic development and growth of the fashion industry. This occurs since these laws encourage product innovation, adoption of modern technology and effective product development. The laws ensure that trade secrets, utility models and patents of the fashion industry are protected effectively. As such, growth in productive activity and knowledge occurs in an effective manner (Zurcher Lawyers 1). The laws have also reduced the number of people and illegal companies involved in copying of other people’s work in the fashion industry. This has created an effective business environment for the industry.
Competition is an issue, which is prevalent among all business organizations as they focus on outdoing each other in the business field. Hence, enterprises in the fashion industry have to focus on adopting new technologically based management system and organization techniques, which foster improvement in the quality of products and ensure an increment in the productivity level. Such an investment is often costly and aims at increasing productivity. It is the intellectual property laws, which grants such entrepreneurs an opportunity to focus on the competitive investment since they feel that their trade secrets and activities are protected effectively through these laws. Intellectual property also creates an opportunity for the fashion industry to disseminate and acquire new information with reference to patent claims.
Nevertheless, these laws create potential unemployment problems within the fashion industry. This occurs since labor that had been employed to facilitate the copying of the unauthorized goods is displaced as the enterprises enforce on these laws. This makes several people unemployed, which leads to the emergence of a strong challenge for the policymakers as they focus on developing and introducing effective intellectual property laws.
Works Cited
Blakley, Johanna. Blakley on fashion and intellectual property. Web. 10 Dec, 2013.
Zurcher Lawyers. Fashion law and intellectual property. Web. 10 Dec, 2013.