Protect your fashion designs
Commenting on the upsurge of kaftans in the fashion industry, Sajidha Gamieldien, senior associate, Trade Mark Department at Adams & Adams points out that in South Africa, at annual fashion shows, designer kaftans, which are hand-made with only a limited number available for purchase, can fetch up to R7000, for those who appreciate creativity and originality.
Unfortunately, these designers have also become victims of copycats, who may go as far as offering their rip-off designs as a 'copy' in their advertising. The designer's creativity is stolen; the design is reassembled using sub-standard materials and embellishments and sold for a third of the original price or less.
Gamieldien urges designers to avoid this from happening to their fashion designs. Ensure that customers take no photographs in store. Put up signs saying that the designer owns the copyright in the designs and even print it on invoices, so that paying customers are aware that they cannot make further copies of designs, without the designer's authorisation. Intellectual property needs to be protected.
