Creative Copiers are Going to Pay!
Creative copyright: I’ve touched on it before, and it continues to make the news and spark my interest.
Sometimes lines aren’t clear and easy to draw - can someone claim a color or hemline? Sometimes it’s easy - the streets of New York are replete with bags and clothes that print 
designers’ exact logos on cheaply-replicated designs.
Where does the copyright line begin and end?
In a case that could potentially be a landmark legal pathway for creative rights, seven defendants - who were running a counterfeit clothing company under names including Gizmo Wear Inc., Tea Shirt Inc., T Shirt
International Inc., and Jump Wear - have thus far plead guilty and been sentenced. Some of the brand names that were being counterfeited were Rocawear, Evisu, Ecko, Enyce and LRG, as reported by Women’s Wear Daily.
Five defendants have been sent to prison. The latest, Abbas Chouman, 43, of Astoria, N.Y., received a sentencing October 12 of 57 months in prison and $7 million in fines. His punishment has been the harshest yet; the others range from two years probation to 27 months in prison. Charges have also included copyright infringement and piracy on CDs, DVDs, and shoes. All this, according to PR Newswire.
So will this lead to further pursuit of copyrighting criminals? Were they busted only because their operations were so large, spanning the nation by Internet and UPS C.O.D. delivery? Will this hinder future potential crimes against creativity?
Only time will tell, but until then, make sure you only purchase the real deal!
copyright infringement, creative copyright lawsuit, fake designer clothing, imitation designer labels
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