Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

Rachael Parman, based in Milton Keynes and a member of the firm’s specialist brand protection team, travelled to Paris to launch the firm’s new design right service for the couture fashion industry, which will see its lawyers tackling copycats by using the latest European legislation.

Many of the designers in the industry have little money to spend to protect their designs and brand in general.

Shoosmiths is offering a pre-litigation minimal fee service, advising designers on the strength of obtaining a financial settlement or award of damages, when evidence is found of design right infringement.

Shoosmiths has successfully defended a number of design right infringements for clients such as Georgina Goodman and Jeffery West using the Community Design Right Regulations.

Many of the contacts Parman made in Paris have already been in touch since her return including Olivia Morris, a British shoe designer, who she is now advising on design right and brand protection issues.

The European design laws have made it faster and less costly for designers to protect their work, by removing the infringing design from sale and reaching settlement relatively quickly.