CROWELL & MORING news and archive

ESG in fashion (2) : the EU framework on greenwashing in the fashion industry

Brussels – Whereas more than half of the EU consumer population is found to be receptive to green claims, only one-fifth appears to actually trust the sustainability claims made by brands. More and more, the market is realizing that “sustainability” is more than a buzzword and green claims should be substantiated by clear and transparent data....

Business |In depth Featured

ESG in fashion: a general overview of the EU framework on environment, social and governance criteria in the fashion industry

Brussels – More and more fashion companies are announcing programs with ambitious (some more than others) goals in relation to environmental, social and governance criteria. Recently ASOS launched its ‘Fashion with Integrity’ (FWI) 2030 programme, committing to achieve Net Zero across the full value chain by 2030. Also consumer demand is not...

BusinessFeatured

Stalking Social Media: The Rise in Counterfeit Products and Intellectual Property Concerns

On July 12, 2019, Chanel filed a lawsuit in the United States naming multiple domains for infringement of its trademark and offering counterfeit products. The domains named in the suit are 8replicachanel.com, buyreplicasonline.com, and shoppinghandbags.top. Chanel asserts that their business suffers “daily and sustained abuse of its trademark...

BusinessFeatured

Stalking Social Media: The Rise in Counterfeit Products and Intellectual Property Concerns

Business

Trademark Infringer Gets the Boot

New York - On May 10, 2019, an eight-person jury in Illinois federal court found Sydney-based company Australian Leather Ltd. and owner Adnan Oygur liable for willful infringement of the “UGG” trademark (U.S. Reg. No. 3,050,925), registered to Deckers Outdoor Corporation since 2005. These boots were made for walkin’– no not your ugg boots, my...

Fashion Featured

European Commission fines Guess almost 40 million euros in new crusade against online distribution restrictions

Brussels - On 17 December 2018, the European Commission fined the clothing company Guess 39.8 million euros for infringing EU antitrust rules by imposing restrictions on retailers’ ability to compete online. Concerns included ‘geo-blocking’ (i.e., restrictions on the EU territories into which retailers were allowed to sell Guess products),...

BusinessFeatured

Copycat-eye? Copyright protection in the beauty industry

Over the past couple of years there have been several important conversations regarding intellectual property issues in the beauty industry. This industry faces a persistent issue of copycat beauty looks that are not credited to the original inspiration. For example, earlier this year Instagram account Diet Prada called out two editorial beauty...

BusinessFeatured

Under the Sea of New Labeling Requirements: How States and Industry are Tackling Microfibers

Most textile and wool products have a label listing the fiber content, country of origin, and identity of the manufacturer. In view of recent concerns about ocean pollution, a few states have passed bills to require polyester clothing to have a label warning consumers about washing their garments to prevent fiber pollution. Current Legislation...

Management |BUSINESS & OPINION Featured

Everyone Loses in a Tariff War

As of June 22, 2018, the European Commission imposed temporary twenty-five percent ad valorem tariffs on certain goods originating in the United States and imported into the European Union. The list of goods affected by these tariffs includes cosmetic preparations, t-shirts, trousers, denim, and footwear, among others. This measure was in direct...

BusinessFeatured

The Next Wave for Beauty? Cosmetics Companies Dive into Mergers and Acquisitions

Interest for mergers and acquisitions among large beauty companies steadily grew throughout 2017 and is set to continue thriving in 2018. According to beauty M&A advisors, Intrepid Investment Bankers, the M&A market continued its active pace with over 100 transactions in 2016 and 2017. Not only have we seen an increase in the number of beauty...

Fashion Featured

Memes, Tweets, and Copyrights: Recent U.S. Federal Court Findings on Copyrighted Images

We’ve seen it all—from the Ryan Gosling “Hey Girl” meme on t-shirts to celebrity tweets that are copied and republished on cable news. While such images and messages are easy to cut-and-paste, recent U.S. court decisions make clear that one should exercise caution when using images found online. Stop that Tweet Last month, a federal court in the...

BusinessFeatured

Don’t Duck* the Law: Busting Three Common U.S. Copyright Law Myths

When it comes to designing, the designers have it. Their eye for creativity and artistry are what draws in consumers and have them coming back. But as companies support their designers, they also need to make sure that their designers don’t run afoul of any intellectual property (IP) rights of others. As we have seen over the years, trampling on...