As HR 2033 makes its way through the House Judiciary Committee, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) may soon introduce a counterpart bill to the Senate, potentially jump starting an issue that could have quietly died.
We've made more than enough arguments on this blog against extending copyright protection to the fashion industry. Among other things, it would inspire unnecessary litigation, undermine legitimate business models, and necessitate burdensome oversight.
We believe that fashion doesn't just sustain a large amount of copying, but that the entire industry benefits from the creative reinterpretation this bill would stop . And we're not alone in this belief – the California Fashion Association recently sent a letter to Congress against this legislation. Let's hope Senator Schumer realizes that even the fashion industry is deeply divided on this issue.