A curious case of Copyright/Corporate power

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SpaceMarine93
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A curious case of Copyright/Corporate power

Post by SpaceMarine93 »

In the light of recent squabble over SOPA, copyright and Corporate power, a curious incident occurred in Hong Kong over photographing store entrances in public.

Security guards of a new Dolce and Gabbana store in Hong Kong recently prevented a photographer from taking photos of the store front. They accuse the photographer of potentially violating copyright by taking pictures of their patented brands of clothes which they display in the store front.

Apparently this amounts almost to preventing people from taking pictures in public, so this led to a rather 'mild' backlash from the Hong Kong public. From "The Australian":
MORE than a thousand people have protested outside a Dolce and Gabbana store in Hong Kong after the Italian clothing store allegedly prevented people from taking photographs of its shop front.

The protest followed reports that a Dolce and Gabbana security guard had stopped a photographer taking pictures of its shopfront from the pavement outside.

More than 13,000 people had protested over the incident on Facebook.

Today, people gathered outside the fashion brand's flagship Hong Kong store taking photos while some carried placards denouncing the store's actions.

Dozens of police were deployed to maintain order.

"Trying to ban us from taking pictures in a public space - shame on them!" one protester said on Cable News television.

Dolce and Gabbana Hong Kong did not immediately return calls for comment.
Yesterday, local politician and lawmaker Frederick Fung reportedly created a stir in the store by calling out slogans and confronting the manager while customers browsed among the luxury goods.

Mr Fung, who belongs to a pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong, had said the Italian brand needed "to make an announcement and apology".
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/busines ... 6239373804

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I lol'ed so hard when I heard about this. :lol: I think the Hong Kong people really showed them.
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Xenophobe3691
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Re: A curious case of Copyright/Corporate power

Post by Xenophobe3691 »

I thought the fashion industry didn't have copyrights like other "IP" industries
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weemadando
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Re: A curious case of Copyright/Corporate power

Post by weemadando »

Not a clue about patents, but surely there's a copyright or trademarking involved in some of their stuff.

On this note though, I know people who while travelling in Europe have been offered (and in some cases taken) not insignificant amounts of money to go into a Versace, D&G, Prada or whatever store and buy certain items for Chinese folks who are outside and not allowed in (as they either are fashion pirates or the stores are discriminating against all Chinese looking folks because of that).
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Re: A curious case of Copyright/Corporate power

Post by CaptainChewbacca »

Is it illegal to buy clothes for others like that? Cuz if not I think I have a new career.
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Re: A curious case of Copyright/Corporate power

Post by Grumman »

CaptainChewbacca wrote:Is it illegal to buy clothes for others like that?
I don't know what the laws are like in China, but reselling wouldn't be illegal here. Unless they force you to sign a EULA before they let you buy anything, you have the right to sell your own property (even then, AFAIK EULAs are still an untested legal concept).

The important thing would be not specifically catering to the IP infringement market. Acting as a middle man because the retailer is racist or because they refuse to sell to anyone who doesn't look sufficiently upper class is fine, as is providing a service the retailer does not (for example, mail order). Acting as a middle man because your clients are pirates is not.
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Re: A curious case of Copyright/Corporate power

Post by Stofsk »

Xenophobe3691 wrote:I thought the fashion industry didn't have copyrights like other "IP" industries
What lead you into thinking this?
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Re: A curious case of Copyright/Corporate power

Post by Psawhn »

Stofsk wrote:
Xenophobe3691 wrote:I thought the fashion industry didn't have copyrights like other "IP" industries
What lead you into thinking this?
http://www.ted.com/talks/johanna_blakle ... lture.html
There's a transcript on the right if you don't want to listen to it and just want to skim over what she says.

In the link, Blakely says that trademarks definitely apply, but patents and copyright don't. Trademarks can be circumvented by calling your product something slightly different. Patents are usually either too broad or narrow to apply, and she says that courts had decided long ago that clothing was too utilitarian for copyright to apply.

That's also why you see clothing with logos plastered all over it. If the trademark is integral to the design, you can't copy it so easily.
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