Safeguarding fashion designs

How to protect your fashion designs

Dids Macdonald is a founder of ACID (Anti Copying In Design), an organisation committed to fighting theft within the design industry. She was inspired to fight against plagiarism having experienced it herself after a number of her own products had been copied.

Dids believes educating designers about how to protect their products is essential. Here she gives some simple pointers on how to begin.

Sometimes designs are not just copied but stolen too so vigilance and security is key. Setting up CCTV wherever you are housing your new designs would help - don't give your premises address out unless you have to.

Sign and date all design drawings, including all details from seed of idea to final design. Under unregistered UK or EU design law it is necessary to provide evidence of design ownership if infringement occurs. Send copies of your designs to an independent third party providing not only evidence, but also detailed drawings so that designs could be re-created if necessary.

Register your designs if at all possible with the UKIPO (United Kingdom Intellectual Property office). Or obtain a registered Community Design (RCD) with the OHIM (Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market).

Basically if you don't want people to copy you, say it! "All intellectual property rights in our designs are and will remain the property of (insert your name). Any infringement will be taken seriously." This should be written on websites, promotion material, product labelling, etc.

Never send design drawings/prototypes or samples without a confidentiality agreement or intellectual property agreement being signed. Never leave any sampling with potential retail buyers or manufacturers without an assurance that your IP rights are acknowledged and respected.

Have a strict NO PHOTOGRAPHY POLICY. Unauthorised photography of your new designs is the fastest and easiest way for other's to steal your ideas.

Did says many people are unaware of the amount of work that goes into successfully designing something. "It takes a great deal of time, expertise and investment and it is devastating to find that an unscrupulous rival has simply copied all your hard work and plans to profit from it," she says.