CanadaFashionLaw Speaks Up

CanadaFashionLaw has some interesting speaking engagements coming up in the Spring across North America.  If you happen to be in Toronto, Chicago or Dallas (yee-haw), feel free to drop by any of the upcoming events to talk shop:

1.  Fashion Crimes at the Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto)

CanadaFashionLaw will be joining fashion gurus, Jeanne Beker, Jeremy Laing, Robert Ott and Nicholas Mellamphy at the Royal Ontario Museum to discuss hot topics in the fashion industry on April 10, 2013.

If you’re interested in joining in on the discussion, you can find more information here.

2.  John Marshall Law School Fashion and Design Law Symposium (Chicago)

CanadaFashionLaw has been helping some very eager law students across the border set up their first fashion law symposium.  It’s great to be around such positive and enthusiastic people.  If you’re in the mid-west, feel free to join us on April 12.  You find more about this event by clicking here.

3.  Fashion Law Roundtable at the International Trademarks Association’s AGM (Dallas)

CanadaFashionLaw will be hosting a roundtable discussion on how intellectual property laws can be used to protect fashion designs on May 8, 2013.  Although this roundtable has sold out (on the first day!), CanadaFashionLaw would love to meet up with anyone else attending the INTA AGM.

It looks like it’s going to be a busy couple of months.  What to wear, what to wear?!

 

Speaking Engagements on Fashion Law

The summer is over and tans are starting to fade.  September came with a vengeance and is almost over.  It’s been a busy time here at CanadaFashionLaw and it appears that it is only going to get more busy.  But we love all things fashionably legal and so we’re up for the challenge.

 

Below is a quick summary of a number of speaking engagements coming up for CanadaFashionLaw owner, author and operator, Ashlee Froese:

 

• Presenting at the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada on October 12, 2012 in Vancouver, British Columbia on protection fashion designs in Canada through intellectual property laws;
• Speaking at the Queen’s Business Forum on the Fashion Industry on November 2, 2012 in Kingston, Ontario on laws affecting the fashion industry;
• Hosting a legal roundtable series on laws affecting the fashion industry throughout 2012 and 2013 with the Fashion Group International – Toronto Chapter;
• Hosting a roundtable discussion at the International Trademarks Association in Dallas, Texas on May 8, 2013 on Navigating Through Non-Traditional Trade-Marks and Industrial Design to Protect Fashion Designs.

If you’re interested in attending any or all of these events, please feel free to reach out for further information.

INTA Targets Teens In Anti-Counterfeiting Campaign

With the International Chamber of Commerce’s recent report stating that the counterfeit goods industry may reach $1.75 trillion (US) by 2012, INTA has decided to step up its game. (For those of you not in the know, the International Trademarks Association is a global non-profit organization comprised of trade-mark and branding professionals.)

INTA will launch a program at its AGM in May 2012 aimed at making youth aware of the ramifications of counterfeit goods.  In the initial stages, INTA is focusing on 14 to 18 year olds in the US with plans to expand the program internationally.

In the lead up to launching the program, INTA hired a marketing agency to conduct some research into teens’ perception of counterfeit goods.  The results provided some interesting insights into the purchasing behaviour of teens:

• Teens respond well to philanthropic activities and social issues;
• Not surprisingly, the analysis confirmed that teens communicate through social media platforms, which also act as a source of influence and information;
• The vast majority of counterfeit goods purchased by teens were in the fashion and electronics industries;
• Those that purchased counterfeit goods were aware that they were not legitimate goods;
• However, there was a lack of understanding of the true implications of purchasing counterfeit goods;
• Morality with respect to purchasing counterfeit goods was not a big concern;
• Interestingly, teens trust their peers.  Celebrity-endorsements or celebrity-centric educational programs did not resonate with teens as well;
• Gender played a role in teens’ aversion to counterfeit goods.  Whereas, female teens tended to have stronger responses to the social effects of counterfeit goods, male teens took issue with how counterfeit goods affected them directly.

INTA intends on launching a two-tiered approach.  The first stage aims at educating teens on the immediate consequences of purchasing counterfeit goods (i.e. poor quality products, job loss etc.).  The second stage takes a wider look at the ramifications (i.e. child labour, significant health and safety concerns, etc.).

As always, INTA is looking for volunteers to assist with the spreading the anti-counterfeiting word.