INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, How not to get ripped off

PATENTS, Protect inventions 

MUST be, Innovative, inventive and new. 
- Capable of industrial application i.e. they can be used in industry.

A patent is a national right, a monopoly, usually lasts 20 years. 
- It comprises of descriptions. 
Describes the inventions and variations 
- Claims 
States what the invention is, set out what is protected by the patent.

TRADEMARKS, What do they protect?

Trademarks can be applied for through application forms or registration

- Indicates the origin of the goods or services 

Logos, brand names, brand images, Includes letters, numbers, symbols, colours and shapes.                                                                      

They can last up to 10 years, but if left inactive they may be revoked after 5 years. 

REQUIREMENTS; 

- Must be capable of graphical representation 

- Unique or distinctive 

- Capable of distinguishing goods or services

A company can apply just for UK coverage. OR if a company requires coverage across Europe, its possible to do so if such company applies for a trademark in a spanish office.

If such trademarks are copied or identical imagery, marks or services are used the individual or company are guilty of infringement and breaking the laws of contract.

Infringement can also be distinguished as a an individual or company using something that may confuse customers with another brand. 

The Victoria secret and Thomas Pink law suit is an example of infringement with Victoria Secret having to remove their "pink" campaign and collection.

COPYRIGHT, Protects the expression of creative and artistic work

If your work falls within a specified category you are eligible for copyright protection. 

- Work must be original not copied.

Copyright is automatic, theres no need for an application

WHY HAVE COPYRIGHT?

- Allows one to make commercial gain

- Provides one with the right for no one to copy work

INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT CAN BE; 

• Copying your work
• Issuing copies to the public
• Renting/lending work
• Performing, selling, playing the work
• Communicating the work
• Adapting the work

WHAT ACTION CAN BE TAKEN?

- License negotiation 

- Legal action 

DESIGN RIGHTS, UK unregistered design 

Design rights protect the appearance of the products, (line, colour, shapes, textures or patterns. 

- must have individual character

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION 

"Work which is capable of being protected"

Ideas can be protected. 

CONSIDER THESE ASPECTS WHEN DESIGNING; 

• Existing trademarks 
• Trademark, registration
• Copyright; author, employer if idea generated under employment
• Consider origin of inspiration
• Commissioned aspects
• Designs; designer, if commissioned, if employed 

TREND FORECASTING

FASHION DOES NOT FEED FASHION. 
- Shared situation awareness (themes and ideas are shared amongst the opinion formers) 

When searching for up and coming trends one has to use other forms to gather information to feed to the audiences. 

To forecast fashion is to recognise a pattern. A forecaster then uses this information to distinguish a trend and anticipate what might happen. 

3 STEPS OF FASHION FORECASTING 

1. Observe the raw data
2. Spot patterns to form hypothesis as to what may unfold 
3. Test hypothesis

BUBBLE UP - A trend that starts in the street and works its way up within the industry. 

TRICKLE DOWN - This is where clothing is incredibly difficult to understand so the high street has observed this and simplified it. Great example of where this happens is ZARA. 

TRAFALGAR - Slow fashion. An idea will evolve and develop over time. This trend will be touched upon again and again by designers and used as themes throughout various fashion houses. Celine is a great example as the minimalist theme is constantly thatched within their outcomes. 

FORD - Fast fashion. The trend is incredibly popular, whilst its about. They are large within the industry, they will sell quickly, but they will equally deteriorate in the industry as quickly.

THE CREATIVE ECONOMY

CREATIVE ECONOMY, SELF EMPLOYMENT 

THE CREATIVE ECONOMY 

• ORIGINATORS; People who create one off items. Fine art, craft (auction houses, art galleries)
• EXPERIENCE CREATORS; Gigs, shopping, festivals, theatre.
• CONTENT PRODUCERS; Films, games, music 

 - CREATIVE ECONOMY & FASHION PROMOTION

Innovation and growth

Based on ideas, innovation, creativity, talent and individuality 

• £71.4 billion to the UK economy
• £26 bn is fashion related 
• £8m per hour
• Growing at rate of 15.6% since 2008
• 5.6% of those employed in the UK (1.6m jobs)
• Creative industries employment increased by 8.6% between 2011 and 2012, compared to 0.7% for all of uk economy
• Exports by the creative industries was £15.5 billion in 2011, 8% of total UK service exports.
• Between 2009 and 2011, exports from the creative industries increased by 16.1%. This compares with an increase of 11.5% for total UK service exports

Fashion statistics 

• £26 billion; up from £21 billion in 2009
• Showing an increase of 22% in nominal terms 
• The UK fashion industry supports 797,00 jobs
• This is a decrease of 2.3% from 2009
• Employee’s wage income is estimated to have risen to over £46 billion
• An increase of 23% since 2009

- LITTLE/LARGE 

84% of creative businesses have less than 1o people

2% more than 100 people

60% of design businesses less than 5 people 

PORTFOLIO CAREER

• 48% portfolio working
• 23% self employed/freelance
• 18% running own business 
• 44% want to have own business 

FASHION CLUSTERING

Fashion clustering exists everywhere. Nothing amongst the hughstreet is positioned "by accident". I learnt on my fashion walk around central London, every single shop is positioned on purpose. 

MAFAIR TO REGENT STREET. 
Mafair is a classic shopping destination featuring some of the most luxurious shops in the industry. Mount St features contemporary brands like Celine and Balanciaga, Mount St is for the fashion forward customer who relishes in the fact he or she can afford such luxury. 


I must admit, Celine is my favourite luxury brand, so I am bias but the in store appearance of Celine Mount St is an example of how an shop floor should be designed. It's simple for customers to glide through the store, warm lighting and most importantly its not invasive, its minimal, clean and elegant. Just like the brand itself. 
- A fantastic touch point for customers.



St Audley St is found just off Mount St, the same pure luxurious theme continues.







LUXURY CLUSTERING 
MOCHINO, BELSTAFF, VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, DONNA KAREN AND ICONIC SKETCH (the old fashion house of Dior) all sit on Conduit Street.

Each store poses a very different atmosphere inside. The variation in music, sale associate dress, staff attitude and in store lay out where the main differentiating factors.

When walking around some of the Luxury branded stores like Louis Vuitton the atmosphere was a lot colder than those like Belstaff or Vivienne Westwood. This was mainly due to the sale associate attitude. Some, like in Belstaff encourage customers to walk around and shop, whereas some make you feel unwelcome like Louis Vuitton which was a shame as the in store design was breathtaking. 

Fendi was the best in store atmosphere. The main touch point within the store was the sales associate assisting us. She showed us around the entire store, explaining in detail the different collections and brand history. 

NEW/OLD BOND STREET
New and Old Bond Street is iconic for its Luxury, Haute Couture presence. Brands like Chanel, Hermes, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney all sit along these streets.

Continuing along Old/New Bond street we came to Saville Row, one of my favourite streets in London. Saville Row encapsulates British heritage and shows off what Britain is really truly good at; Tailoring. Henry Poole (Saville row's oldest tailor), Richard James and Lavin Boutique. 

The cluster featured here is one of the largest clusters amongst the streets in central London. This cluster is situated all together due to it's similar target audience. Those who have a large disposable income. 
There's also a power stance associated with having a store within these streets. These brands sit where they sit because they are the optimum level of luxury and to sit next to each other is to compete with one another.

RAVENSBOURNE PLUS

Ravensbourne Plus is a co curricular programme that enhances student academia whilst studying as an undergraduate working to preparing students for industry. The programme offers events, short courses, specific lectures all contributing towards students preparation for their chosen industry. 

RAVE LECTURES 
These lectures feature industry specific talks. The lecture may be in the from of; industry projects, workshops, short courses, mentoring for business or career advice. 

RAVE LATES 
This include guest speakers talking in key evening events. This provides opportunity to interact and learn about other key industries. They also cover all industry areas. 

RAVE SHORTS 
- Divided into 3 areas 

• BUSINESS SKILS; advice on working freelance, navigating hidden job market, and setting up in a creative industry
• PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, skills that can make a substantial difference; networking, gaining confidence, successful public speaking  
• TECHNICAL SKILLS, classes in key software and other technical equipment such as photoshop.

MACRO TRENDS, NEO TOLKIENISM

Dreams  (click on link)

FANTASY?
Classic interpretations of fantasy include nerdy, geeky, perhaps the genre of freaks? But fantasy has been quietly simmering under the predicability's of the fashion industry. 

Neo Tolkienism is a macro trend that enables consumers and brands to embrace their inner geek, express fantasy and bring quirky life back into the creative industries.
Neo tolkienism has captivated the imagination of brands world wide and is taking a firm stance in our culture, becoming increasingly present in our lifestyle industries. 

"'we' re living in a science fiction world now, seeing new technologies around us all the time, this has changed the way people about the world and opened them up to fantastical storytelling because, at the moment, we cannot tell what is real or not."

Consumers have given into the world of fantasy and the unknown after being blinded by the extensive power of the digital industries. Consumers are desperate for an escape from the predicability of the 21st century. 

Neo Tolkienism isn't outlandish and extreme, it's just introducing a bit of mystery into industry. In fashion brands are already adopting this trend. Brands should divulge customers into the unknown. 

People are interested by the times where there were no real distractions. It was black and white. There's a particular interest in medical ages (game of thrones). Its a world where you either live, you die, you matter, you don't. There's no distractions like mass social media, extensive technological development. - this is something industry can adopt. 

MACRO TRENDS, THE SHARDED SELF

The development of social media. IS is good? is it bad? 

The trend "sharded self" explores the development of social media, and finding a balance between enough, and too little technological input. 

People are beginning to question how much we rely on the technology surrounding us. The sharded self focuses more so on how social media holds too much power and poses a threat to actual human interaction. 

SELF PROMOTION

Social media provides the power to express yourself online, and to communicate ones self as whoever they want to be. Social media means  one can inhabit as many lives as we like.

In terms of the fashion industry this means there a chance to play on the fact there's a growing concern on the lack of genuine interaction with the explosion of social media. Brands hold the power to re engage people and bring them back to real-world interaction.

Brands can also work with the growing need of consumers to perform online. Consumers have become obsessed with how they are perceived online; the amount of likes they receive, the amount of page views. Brands can work to introduce ways of manipulating this need. Brands should recognise online friends, family and followers are key audiences. Using online bloggers to "instagram" a branded item. This means the thousands of blog followers see this item, therefore want this item. 

Brands must see the danger of alienation.

They must work with the growing concern of the social media power and balance this with interaction.