Coco Channel, Yves Saint Laurent, Gianni Versace, and
Thomas Burberry, all iconic names that are
synonymous with fashion and the fashion industry.
Further, they are all European designers. From Paris
Fashion Week to Milan Fashion Week, Europe is
arguably the center of emerging fashion. It can be
theorized that the reason for strong intellectual
property rights within the European Union (EU), in
the area of fashion design, is due to the
significance of the fashion industry within Europe.
Within the EU, there has long been a recognition of
the significance of design protection, which sets
its IP protection apart from other places in the
world. Several of the protections that the EU has
implemented can be traced back historically to
attempts by the countries in the region to protect
their textile markets, and to protect regional
innovations which were being developed within early
textile industries. Even in the early stages of the
EU's history, there were attempts to create
uniformity within the area of design. The desire to
create uniformity in this area is continuous, but
Brexit threatens a path towards uniformity.