Little makes an American Senator happier than a new special interest to protect and thereby acquire donations from.
On Aug. 5, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced S.3728: the Innovative Design Protection and Piracy Prevention Act. He’s got 10 cosponsors—including three Republicans—and a big idea: to extend copyright protections to the fashion industry, where none currently exist. That’s right: none. I—well, not I, but someone who can sew—can copy Vera Wang’s (extremely expensive) dress and sell it to you right now (for much less), and Wang can’t do a thing about it.
Copycats vs. Copyrights
I remember the horrors - even violent crime - of fashion designers finding their creations pirated. In mystery novels. But it hadn’t occured to me that clothing designers had no intellectual property rights.
Not that Vera Wang would sell another dress if the legislation passes. Ok, maybe a few more. But most of the people who buy the copies cannot afford the original.
But as American capitlists like to say: Tough Luck.