Jovani Fashion, Ltd. v. Fiesta Fashions: Second Circuit Finds Dress Designer's Copyright Claim Weak at the Seams
On October 15, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued its opinion in Jovani Fashion, Ltd. v. Fiesta Fashions , Docket No. 12-598-cv, 2012 WL 4856412, holding that the prom dress artwork of fashion designer Jovani Fashions, Ltd. (“Jovani”) lacked copyrightable elements, and thus, could not be infringed by a competitor’s design. Though not a precedential decision, the opinion serves as both an important reminder of the absence of copyright protection afforded the fashion world and a streamlined instruction on the scope of and limits on copyrightable elements in works of fashion.
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