Fashionably IP

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the concept of the ‘average consumer’ in EU and UK trade mark law. Why is it important, and why is it different to the concept of ‘the informed user’ in EU and UK design law? Rebecca and Lee also apply the concept to a well-known fashion case. Timestamps: 2.29: what is or more accurately who is the average consumer for the purposes of trade mark law.6.12: what is the average consumer not a fashion case and describe how the concept of average consumer was a...

Overview: Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the famous Crocs clog, when it was launched, why it became so successful and some of the intellectual property issues and cases associated with the famous clog. Timestamps: 1:44 - History of the development and launch of the well Crocs sandal or clog3:18 - The first one concerns trade mark law and is a relatively recent case in the UK, is it not6:45 - What was the Hearing Officer’s reasoning of this point?10:20 - Has design protection...

Overview: Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis interview Theo Barclay of 4 New Square on the recent IPEC case of Fendi Italia SRL, Loewe S.A., Christian Dior Couture S.A, Celine S.A and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE against Rolo Fashion Limited and Georgia Aldridge regarding the sale of non-genuine branded fashion products by the social media influencer Georgia Aldridge. We delve into the facts of the case, how the enquiry as to damages was made, and some practical tips for brand owners a...

Overview: Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss when EU Registered and Unregistered Designs and UK Supplemental Unregistered Design Rights are considered to be new and to have individual character. These are important concepts when considering the validity of such rights. Rebecca and Lee apply those concepts to two fashion IP cases. Timestamps: 2:21 - Can you explain what is meant by ‘new’ under UK and EU design law?3:58 - EU registered and unregistered design rights8:38 - Fashion cases11:28 -...

Overview: Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis began recording the Fashionably IP podcast back in May 2022 and have now produced and released fifty episodes. They have discussed and touched on multiple cases and issues relating to IP in the world of fashion. In this episode, they review the important concepts and cases, in their eyes, of the previous forty-nine episodes of the Fashionably IP podcast, adding some hindsight and new comments. Timestamps: 3: 25 - What subject has come up a lot on the pod...

Overview: Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis of HGF discuss the Phase II changes of EU Registered Design Law coming into force on 1st July 2026 and their impact on the world of fashion. There is a recap on the Phase I changes which came into force in May 2025 and a brief recap on the consultation on changes to UK design and copyright law which ended on 27th November 2025. Timestamps: 4:59 - What is the key change being introduced by the Phase II changes to the world of EU registered design pr...

Overview: Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis of HGF discuss the recent decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the Faure Le Page case which concerned the use of a year in a trade mark, 1717, and whether that wrongly imparted heritage and prestige on the trade mark which could be viewed as deceptive and a basis for invalidity for a series of French trade mark registrations. Timestamps: 2:28 – Overview of the factual background to the Faure Le Page case6:31 – Considerations addresse...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis of HGF interview Professor Alexandra Roberts of Northeastern University in Boston on US trade dress law. What is trade dress? How can it be infringed? How does trade dress apply to the world of fashion? Timestamps: 4:28 - Can you explain what US trade dress is designed to protect? Do you have to register trade dress in the US to get protection?10:18 - Could you explain how you infringe US trade dress?12:14 - Where did trade dress come from and was it or is it part...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the importance of personal names in the world of fashion and a recent decision of the CJEU concerning the registration of a trade mark relating to French fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. Did the use of the name JC de CASTELBAJAC post-registration, after the sale of the underlying business, lead to a trademark registration for the name to be invalidated on the basis of deceptiveness? Is this decision contrary to the well-known decision re...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the concept of ‘overall impression’ in registered design law in the United Kingdom and European Union. Rebecca and Lee also discuss where a claimant was successful in an action for registered design infringement in a fashion case and how overall impression came into play. Timestamps: 1:34 – The concept of overall impression in UK and EU registered design law?7:01 - Where does overall impression come into play with regards the validity of UK and EU regis...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis interview Theo Barclay of 4 New Square, who was the successful lead counsel for Dryrobe Limited, in the recent decision of the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) concerning trade mark infringement and passing off claims by Dryrobe Limited against Caesr Group Limited (trading as D-Robe Outdoors) and counterclaims by Caeser Group based on descriptiveness, genericism and non-use. The case is particularly interesting as it is one of the few UK trade mark ca...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the impact of Generative AI on online search and associated legal issues. The online search market has been stable for over twenty years. Will Generative AI change the way online search works and looks, and what are the implications for brand and trade mark owners? Timestamps: 2:17 The impact of AI online search with a focus on fashion retailers4:21 - The way search is and was conducted raised a number of legal issues and what were they?5:56 - AI and chang...

Overview: Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis interview their HGF colleague Rachel Platts about the UKIPO’s consultation on proposed changes to UK design law and their impact on fashion design. We touch on possible changes to the UK design examination system, searches, the possible introduction of opposition procedures and dealing with bad faith filings. We also discuss important possible changes to disclosure rules and touch on copyright protection for fashion designs. Timestamps: 2:29 introd...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the recent Opinion from Advocate General Emiliou in the Deity Shoes S.L. case. The case concerns whether fashion designs need ‘intellectual effort’ to benefit from EU Registered and Unregistered design protection and whether fashion trends impact the designer's freedom when considering the validity of designs. Timestamps: 2:13 can you provide some background on the Deity Shoes dispute?4:25 The first core issue: How did the Advocate General answer this key ...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis interview barrister Simon Malynicz KC of Hogarth Chambers on the recent decision of the UK Supreme Court in the Iconix vs Dream Pairs case. We discuss the concept of post-sale confusion in the world of trade marks and as ever have a fashion spin. Timestamps: 3:14 - Summary of the Iconix case10:45 - Has the Supreme Court helped define the limits of post-sale confusion?12:30 - Do you think post-sale confusion is a particular issue in the world of fashion?14:30...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis interview barristers Andrew Norris KC and Becky Knott of Hogarth Chambers on the recent Sonia Edwards vs Boohoo design case. We also touch on the well-known Rihanna case and other notable fashion IP cases. Timestamps: 3.34 - Introduction to Andrew and Becky4:22 - You acted for Boohoo in that case. Could you, Becky provide a brief summary of the case and the issues involved?6:28 – issue of copying. Andrew explains this and how it came up in the Edwards case.9:40 - ...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis interview their HGF colleagues Susanne Bilderbeek and Olivia Petter on smell-a-like perfumes and compare and contrast UK, Benelux and German trade mark and copyright case law on perfume comparison lists and smell-a-like perfumes. Timestaps: 4:54 So-called smell-alike perfumes case law8:40 Smell-alike perfumes and German case law15:00 Is there any UK case law on this

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis interview Professor Johanna Gibson of Queen Mary University of London. We touch on the new Fashion Law LLM, the first fashion law LLM in the United Kingdom and discuss fashion IP cases past, present and future. Timestamps: 6:49 - The new Fashion Law LLM at Queen Mary10:28 - Historical fashion IP law case21:09 – Supreme court

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis interview barrister Victoria Jones from the chambers 3PB in this edition of the Fashionably IP podcast on good practice in contentious proceedings before the UKIPO. Victoria provides tips on good practice in evidence and oral arguments and the benefits of using a barrister in UKIPO proceedings. Of course, the podcast will also have a fashion spin as always. Timestamps: 3:39 - Could you give an explanation of how the UKIPO Tribunal system works and maybe some of t...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis interview barrister Daniel Selmi of Three New Square in this edition of the Fashionably IP podcast on the concept of the informed user in UK and EU registered design law. Who is the informed user? How does the informed user impact the assessment of design infringement, validity of registered designs and prior art? Has the concept of the informed user impacted any fashion cases? Timestamps: 3:23 - The concept of the informed user and how does this concept imp...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the often misunderstood concept of honest concurrent use and fashion brands in the United Kingdom. What is the history of this concept and how does it apply to the world of fashion brands? Timestamps: 2:44 - What is honest concurrent use under UK trade mark law?8:19 - Fashion cases where the concept has been applied9:57 – conclusions

Lee Curtis and Rebecca Field discuss the recent Thom Browne/Adidas decision of the English High Court concerning the battle of the three and four stripes. The decision was long and wide-ranging concerning invalidity, infringement, passing off, post-sale confusion and honest concurrent use in the world of fashion. Timestamps: 4:16 - the trade mark invalidity proceedings first and what the High Court decided?9:19 - trade mark infringement and passing off proceedings13:54 - Summary of the concl...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss non-use revocation actions and fashion brands in the United Kingdom and European Union. What constitutes use? Do you need to use a trade mark in the exact form of the registered trade mark? What are the valid reasons for non-use? Timestamps: 2:49 - The basics of Law6:42 - Cases in the EU of non-use and trademarks in the UK and the EU11:01 - Can anything be learnt from these decisions?

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the application of copyright to the world of fashion. Why is it harder to enforce copyright in fashion items in the US compared to the EU? How are fashion items protected by copyright in the UK? Timestamps: 2:16 - Copyright might naturally be thought to be a very apt IP right to apply to fashion, but why has it been generally difficult to apply such rights to the world of fashion at least in the United Kingdom and United States of America?6:15 - Other cas...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis provide a short history of fashion IP law. They discuss the differences between US, UK and EU fashion IP law and explain that many of the differences are down to history. Timestamps: 2:46 - Introduction to the development of IP law?5:42 - History of fashion IP law?10:57 - differing attitudes to the protection of fashion IP rights between Europe and the US12:42 - What has the discussion shown about the history of fashion IP law?

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the IP rights applying to women’s shoes. Rebecca and Lee concentrate on probably the most famous women’s shoes of all, notably the red sole of Christian Louboutin. They discuss how the red sole was registered and some of the IP disputes surrounding that shoe in the EU and US. Timestamps: 2:49 - How was Christian Louboutin's red sole shoe registered in the UK5.44 - IP disputes with the Christian Louboutin red sole8:49 - What other IP rights could apply to ...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss position trademarks in fashion. What are position trade marks and how easy or hard are they to register in the world of fashion. What happens when fashion position trademarks come into conflict? Timestamps: 3:02 – can you define what is a position trade mark?6:35 - Recent cases which might suggest that the registration of position trade marks is getting harder or easier9:31 - Cases on when position trade mark registrations have come into conflict?10:50 - ...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the intellectual property rights which apply to perfume, why they are integral to the success of a fashion house and how they can be protected under IP law. Timestamps: 2:35 – why a perfume has historically been important to fashion houses.5:05 – why is it not possible for the smell of perfumes, at present, to be protected under trademark law in the UK and EU?6:50 – what types of IP protection could apply to perfumes?8:31 – are there any other forms of pr...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the intellectual property rights that apply to jewellery, some recent cases on the protection of jewellery under trademark law, and also why all things that glitter as jewellery may not always be protectable under intellectual property law. Timestamps: 2:44 – Why jewellery is not a form of fashion which is apt for trade mark protection7:49 – what types of IP protection are probably better suited to the protection in the UK and EU?11:32 – Seminar on Fashio...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the intellectual property rights which apply to dresses and how dress design has moulded some of the IP rights that apply to fashion items. Further, can the ‘overall look’ of a dress designer be protected via IP law, as opposed to individual dress designs? Timestamps: 3:30 - how dress fashion has influenced IP and the rights that designers seek in their protection.6:23 - Community unregistered design right9:15 - Copyright protection in relation to the dre...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the recent decision of the General Court of the European Union, which upheld previous decisions of the EUIPO to cancel a Community Design Registration for a pair of trainers in the name of Puma SE based on prior disclosures of the design by Rihanna on Instagram. Timestamps: 3:39: How Rihanna inadvertently destroyed the novelty of the Community Registered Design of a trainer design by Puma.3:53: Rihanna signs contract with Puma 4:46: Facts of the case...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss IP law in the fashion sector via a series of objects. The second object they will discuss is the handbag. What IP rights apply to this form of fashion item? Are there any particular IP rights most applicable to the handbag? Are there any significant recent IP cases impacting handbags? Timestamps: 2:42: Why is the handbag important in the world of fashion?4:04: How are they protected under IP law?4:36: Community Unregistered Design Right6:15 commercial imp...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis start to discuss IP law in the fashion sector via a series of objects. The first object they will discuss is the humble trainer or sneaker. What IP rights apply to this form of footwear? Are there any particular IP rights most applicable to the sneaker or trainer? What special consumer issues and traits impact the protection of IP in the sneaker or trainer market? Timestamps: 2:57 - Why is the sneaker market so important and why has it been the centre of som...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the impact of exhaustion of rights on intellectual property law in the world of fashion. The exhaustion of IP rights is particularly important in the world of fashion retail and impact of IP rights owners’ ability control their distribution channels. Under what conditions can brand owners object to the resale of genuine branded fashion products in the UK? What is the ‘aura of luxury’? What is the impact of Brexit on exhaustion of rights in the UK? Do...

The impact of artificial intelligence on IP in fashion? Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on intellectual property law in the world of fashion. What is artificial intelligence? How does an AI application learn to become a fashion designer? Can AI applications own and create IP rights in fashion? How do you deal with the issue of liability and the infringement of IP rights? Timestamps: 2:44 What is artificial intelligence?4:09 How does an AI appl...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis interview their HGF colleagues Lauren Somers and Emma Pallister on the quiet luxury trend in fashion and what impact does it have on IP rights. How do you protect and enforce aspects of quiet luxury? Timestamps: 1:40 – Introduction to guest speakers, Lauren Somers, and Emma Pallister2:51 – Quiet luxury and buying habits.4:06 – How does quiet luxury impact IP right?7:18 - Maison Margiela trade mark9 :16 – Key takeaways when considering quiet luxury and its protect...

Rebecca Field and Lee Curtis interview their HGF colleague Suzan Moss on searching for fashion designs in the UK and EU. What IP rights do you have to consider? What about disclosure dates, novelty, and individual character? What is good practice in registering designs for fashion items. Timestamps: 1:25 – Introduction to guest speaker, Suzan Moss.2:22 – Design clearance searches for fashion products3:37 – Unregistered design right protection5:41 – Date of disclosure6:36 – Brexit and design ...

There is a lingering impact of Brexit on design and trade mark rights in the world of fashion. You might have thought that Brexit no longer has an impact of IP law in the fashion world, well it still does. The 31st December 2023 is approaching, and that date will be significant in a number of ways in IP rights in the world of fashion. We discuss the expiry of Continuing Unregistered Design Rights, Supplementary Unregistered Design Rights, the potential divergence of UK and EU laws, UK address...

Welcome to Series 3, Episode 4 of HGF’s Fashionably IP podcast. In this podcast we talk about parody fashion brands and whether there are any differences in the approach to them in the US, UK, and EU from a trade mark law perspective. Has a recent decision in the US on parody brands brought the various approaches closer together? Timestamps: 02.25: Bad spaniels branded dog chew - the Jack Daniels case04:04: Why are parody brands popular in the world of fashion?05:26: Reputable fashion brands...

This podcast is the final in a series of three podcasts on key aspects of trade mark protection in the UK and EU. We talk about two ‘quirky’ aspects of UK and EU trade mark practice, notably series and position trade mark applications, with a fashion spin. Timestamps: 03.14 – What is a series Trade mark?05.37 – What use are series Trade marks for fashion clients?06.40 – Position Trade marks08.58 – Litigation relating to position trademarks09.24 – The Christian Louboutin case10.11 – Key takea...

This podcast is the second in a series of three podcasts on key aspects of trade mark protection in the UK and EU. We talk about the decorative use of trademarks in the world of fashion and who exactly is the average consumer in a trade mark infringement action under UK practice. Timestamps: 03:04 - why is decorative or ornamental use an issue in the world of fashion and trademarks?05:41 - The Rihanna x Topshop case06:28 - Can elements of fashion design act as Trade Marks or are they purely ...

Welcome to the first episode in series 3 of HGF’s Fashionably IP podcast. This podcast is the first in a series of three podcasts on key aspects of trade mark protection in the UK and EU. This episode will focus on the subject of goodwill with a fashion spin as ever. We will also have a special guest in this podcast but you will have to tune into the podcast to find out who it is! Timestamps: 1:29 Our special guest3:15 Goodwill in the UK4:26 Can you assign goodwill?6:10 Can you explain what ...

Welcome to episode 3 of our second series of HGF’s Fashionably IP podcast. This podcast is the final podcast in a series of three podcasts on key aspects of design protection in the UK and EU. We are going to talk about all the small but potentially significant quirks and points of UK and EU Registered Design Practice, including disclaimers, drawings, descriptions and much more. Timestamps: 3:05 - Drawings and disclaimers of registered designs 4:13 - PMS International Plc vs. Magmatic L...

Timestamps: 2:39 - Novelty and the scope of infringement rights.3:33- What is the test for novelty?6:07 - What is the test for infringement for registered designs in the UK and EU?7:38 - Procter & Gamble Co vs Reckitt Benckiser (UK) Ltd case.8:20 - What is the novelty test for UK and EU Unregistered Design Rights?8:57 - Karen Millen case.

Welcome to Series 2 Episode 1 of HGF's Fashionably IP Podcast. In this episode we will be talking about disclosure and its impact of unregistered and registered design protection and we are going to have a fashion spin as always. Timestamps: 1:35 - About HGF2:40 - Disclosure and registered and unregistered design rights5:14 - The Crocs case6:17 - The importance of disclosure for Unregistered Design Rights7:30 - Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company vs PMS International case9:20 - General rules ...

In the ninth edition of HGF’s Fashionably IP podcast in the spirit of the new year and new beginnings or at least recycled beginnings, we are going to talk about recycling, upcycling and resale in fashion. How do IP rights impact recycling, upcycling and resale? Can a brand owner control the resale of its branded product and product which may have been upcycled or customised from the product it originally sold? Timestamps: 1:51- recycling, upcycling and resale in fashion.3:05- Consequences ...

In the eighth edition of HGF's Fashionably IP Podcast, we are doing something different to what we have done with our previous podcasts and have a Christmas special. In this podcast we are talking about Father Christmas and how if he had been starting out in his toy and joy distribution business what trade mark and design rights he could have combined in his famous red and white outfit. So we are going to combine Christmas, fashion and a bit of IP. Merry Christmas from us and all ...

In the seventh edition of HGF's Fashionably IP Podcast, we discuss the protection of shape trade marks in the world of fashion. Our discussion centres on the recent refusal by the Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office to register the shape of the Christian Dior saddle bag hand bag. We also touch on the decision from the General Court of the EU from 2021 to allow the registration of a cosmetics applicator by Guerlain. Why did Guerlain and Christian Dior find themse...

In this sixth podcast, we discuss the protection of geographical terms in the world of fashion. An emotive subject for businesses and countries alike. Examples of geographical terms in fashion 01:46The Windsurfing Chiemsee case 03:29Iceland (the country vs the food retailer) case 05:12Louis Vuitton's Vendôme trade mark registrations 08:20Takeaways from the discussion 09:55

In our fifth podcast we talk about trade mark rights protecting fashion designs. Design and copyright may be of obvious use, but what about trade mark rights? Timestamps: An intro to HGF and the podcastTrade mark rights to protect fashion designs and why is that an important subject 02:07Freddy SpA vs Hugz Clothing 05:12Position trade marks 07:00Takeaways from the discussion 08:37