Trends and knockoffs are a huge part of the fashion industry today. Stores like Forever21 greatly benefit off of the current runway fashion runway fashions and mass reproductions of designer clothes. Designers get angry by this and are trying to create a copyright law to prevent companies from knocking off their designs.
The bill called the Innovative Design Protection and Privacy Act is the law designers are trying to use to save their designs. The California Fashion Association and other opposing parities claim the bill is vague and wouldn't be productive.
Kal Raustiala brings up valid points in pleading his case (anti-IDPPA). He feels as though trends rely on copying and copying improves the market and provides jobs for people. He claims copying us not limited to the lowerclass and that many designers feed off one another for ideas.
Many have written books in and debated the subject but the strong supporters and activists encourage you to look at the facts. 1) Being that the economy is the way it is, knockoffs are a way for the designers to get their designs on less wealthy people. 2) Large companies like Forever21 create jobs for many people who desperately need them. 3) Copying breeds competition between designers.
If a copyright law was passed less trends would be discovered, less of the population would be sporting certain shapes and prints, and many people and companies would have no business and no job. In the long run making this protection bill would greatly damage the fashion industry.
