Safeguarding Fashion Brands in the Digital Age: Legal Frameworks and Strategic Enforcement in Online Brand Protection

While the latest marketing schemes could lead many to believe that artificial intelligence (AI) is a new technological revolution that has transformed our economy overnight, the term was coined in 1956 by the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence (DSRPAI). Since then, decades of consistent research and development have driven AI’s evolution, culminating in groundbreaking advances such as artificial neural networks (“AlexNet”) in 2012. This was particularly revolutionary because this breakthrough technology facilitated the emergence of “deep learning,” more specifically, a subset of machine learning that mimics human cognitive processes to enhance decision-making capabilities. And as time passes, AI, like a ball accelerating down a steep hill, continues to advance at a more rapid pace. Currently we are in a period that some are referring to as the “AI Boom,” characterized by rapid advancement and widespread integration of AI technologies across various fields.
Within the fashion and retail industries, AI has proven instrumental in refining data analytics, trend forecasting, and consumer engagement. By processing vast datasets, including runway imagery, online search behavior, sales metrics, and social media interactions, AI enables brands to anticipate market trends and optimize their product life cycles for maximum profitability. However, while AI-driven innovations have enhanced operational efficiency and connectivity, they have also introduced new challenges and risks.

What it Means to Practice Sustainability in Fashion—and Everywhere Else

Today, more than 200 years after the Industrial Revolution birthed our current system of production and consumption, we are finally realizing that our natural resources are not infinite.
The assumption that our natural resources are infinite and ripe for our exploitation, however, was precisely the conceit that fueled the Industrial Revolution. In an era of rapid technological change that enabled mechanized rather than manual production, the early industrialists believed that progress meant producing the greatest volume of goods for the greatest number of people, as quickly and cheaply as possible, by making full use of the seemingly endless supply of raw materials at hand. Thereafter, buy, use, dispose, repeat. This new system of mass production and consumption did give more people access to more goods. At the same time, this new system generated unprecedented volumes of toxic waste and immeasurably depleted the diversity of our ecosystem and local cultures.
The fashion industry is part of this system. As we think through the enormous sustainability challenges that the industry faces, it is important to keep in mind that these challenges are systemic.

Revisiting the Trademark Regime of Bangladesh: TRIPS Compatibility Perspectives

Bangladesh became a member of the World Trade Organization (“WTO”) in 1995. At the time of becoming a member, Bangladesh also endorsed the memorandum regarding the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (“TRIPS”) which concluded in 1994. To align its intellectual property laws with the standards set by TRIPS, Bangladesh repealed Trademarks Act, 1940, and enacted the Trademarks Act, 2009. While the 2009 legislative overhaul was a major improvement, keeping up with international standards is a continuous process. This Article evaluates to what extent the provisions of Bangladesh’s Trademarks Act, 2009 conforms to the standards of TRIPS. In doing so, this study frames an overview of the Trademarks Act, 2009 demonstrating an unambiguous picture as to how the local trademark regime of Bangladesh is approaching and responding towards its obligations of adopting globally agreed trademark related standards.