Trademark protection in the sphere of fashion and with the help of artificial intelligence

Abstract

A registered trademark can offer legal safeguard for a designer's name, brand name, emblem, logo, color or combination of colors, pattern, and so on. Ukrainian designers frequently establish trademarks by registering their names, sometimes accompanied by a graphic picture. Not just the brand name and designer's name, but also other aspects can be registered as a trademark. Regrettably, securing legal protection for a certain color or color combination is a challenging task. It requires providing evidence that a particular color is strongly linked to a specific fashion brand, such as the turquoise shade of a Tiffany box or the crimson hue of a Christian Louboutin sole. Registering a trademark is an effective method for preventing the importation and production of counterfeit goods. Nevertheless, it is impractical to safeguard the complete collection from plagiarism due to the insufficient time available for registering a trademark for a newly updated collection every month (ZARA, HM, OVS). Representatives of the Ukrainian fashion industry prioritize safeguarding their brands over safeguarding intellectual property rights for the models they produce. On one side, this scenario is justifiable, as Ukrainian designers hardly infringe upon the law, unlike worldwide companies. It is recommended to register an industrial design when a designer makes a distinctive model, technology, or print. The future of trademark protection lies in artificial intelligence. The verdict delivered on 8 February 2023 in the MetaBirkin case carries favorable consequences for the fashion industry and trademark proprietors at large. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that in this specific instance, the unauthorized utilization of the trademark was unequivocally acknowledged. Hermes has effectively shown its deliberate plan to enter the intangible assets market prior to the disputed circumstances. Therefore, trademark owners who encounter challenges in presenting proof of premeditated intention to participate in the non-traditional technology market should implement all essential procedures and regulations to safeguard their brand rights in the meta­network and other domains. Expanding trademark registration to encompass the sale of NFTs and digital goods in general is of utmost importance. Given that the fashion industry and its protection are developing at a rapid pace, the following problems arise in Ukraine in this area related to the protection of intellectual property rights in Ukraine: illegal use, theft or counterfeiting of works, patents, trademarks and other objects intellectual property; length of court cases combined with distrust of mediation; piracy and smuggling. Therefore, certain elements used in each collection, such as the trademark or designer print on the fabric, are legally protected.