Africa Fashion Law™: Howard Law Fashion Law Week™ DC , February 27th, 2012 – “Intelligent Design: Protecting IP in the Fashion Industry”

I was invited to speak at the 2012 Howard Law Fashion Law Week™ DC 2012 – “Intelligent Design: Protecting IP in the Fashion Industry” event. Unfortunately, my prior commitments preclude joining my colleagues, fashion designers and law students at Howard Law Fashion Law Week. Nevertheless, I thought to extend the invitation to attend the event to the Ladybrille audience, given the numerous emails I have received since introducing Africa Fashion Law™ on Ladybrille.

My esteemed fashion law colleague Susan Scafidi of Fordham School of Law will be the keynote speaker. In addition, Ladybrille Woman of the Month alumni and fashion designer, Korto Momolu, will be showing her collection. Further, some of the persons helping organize the eevent are African students at Howard Law School. So, if you will be in the DC area and you are interested in fashion, have a fashion business or interested in fashion law, you should mark your calendar and plan to attend.

-Uduak

2nd Annual Fashion Law Week™ DC 2012–
“Intelligent Design: Protecting IP in the Fashion Industry”

Washington, DC – The Intellectual Property Students’ Association (IPSA) at Howard University School of Law (HUSL) has announced the dates for its second annual Fashion Law Week™ (FLW) DC. The weeklong series of events will begin Monday, February 27, 2012, and conclude Friday, March 2, 2012. Fashion Law Week™ DC has rapidly become an innovative forum for both the professional world and the community at large to discuss pertinent intellectual property (IP) legal issues related to the fashion industry. The week of events will provide students, the local community, fashion aficionados, and artists with a substantive overview of IP law in the fashion industry, introduce participants to the work of IP attorneys, and display the work of emerging designers.

The Fashion Law Week™ DC 2012 events are as follows:

Formal Dress Drive

Monday, February 27, 2012 – Friday, March 2, 2012

Formal dresses will be donated to Once Upon a Prom

FLW DC 2012 will begin by taking the opportunity to give back. For the second year in a row, FLW DC has partnered with Once Upon a Prom, a local nonprofit, to collect dresses that will be donated to students in need of formal wear for prom. Please email [email protected], for information regarding pick-up or drop-off of dress donations.

How to Maintain Your Fashion Flair in the Legal Field

Monday, February 27, 2012

12:20 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Howard University School of Law | Holy Cross Foyer

Panelists include: Kimberly Jones of “Curvy Ceo,” fashion blogger and IP lawyer;

Katherine Limon, eco fashion guru, stylist, and former owner of Carbon Boutique; and Patricia Elam: lawyer, stylist, professor, and author.

Fashion Law Roundtable
Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Day Session (lunch will be served)

12:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Discussion topics include: (1) Fashion Law, What Is It?; (2) How to Get Into Fashion Law; and (3) Creative Ways to Network in the Fashion Law Community.

Evening Session

6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Howard University School of Law | Houston Hall, Classroom 4
Moderated by Mariessa Terrell, Founding Owner of SBC IP Law Group

Discussion topics include: (1) Fashion Law, What Is It?; (2) How Designers Can Protect Their Brands (Trademark & Copyright); (3) Issues New Designers Face; and (4) Fashion Law’s Dirty Word, “Knockoffs.”

Fashion Law Roundtable Reception
8:15 p.m. –9:30 p.m.

Howard University School of Law

Sponsored by IPSA, SBC IP Law Group, and Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts

Keynote Address

Professor Susan Scafidi- Director: Fordham Fashion Law Institute

Special Guest: DC Councilman Kwame Brown

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Howard University School of Law

Come learn more about fashion law from a pioneer in the field!

Keynote Address Reception

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

8:15 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Howard University School of Law

Sponsored by IPSA, SBC IP Law Group, and Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts

Fashion Show

“Intelligent Design”

Friday, March 2, 2012

7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Location:TBA

Fashion Law Week™ DC concludes with a fashion show featuring the creations of emerging and established designers.

Fashion show participants include: Korto Momolu, St. John Collection; Studio Max; St. Chic; Gwen Beloti; Simply love; Kim Schlack; JEM Scarves; Diva Delicious; The Gold Diggers; and Diamantina Handbags

Past Fashion Law Week™ DC panel and speaker participants include: Professor Guillermo Jimenez, New York Fashion Institute of Technology and author of “Fashion Law: A Guide for Designers, Fashion Executives and Attorneys”; Kwame Brown, Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia; Michael Grow, Arent Fox LLP; Stephany Greene, Fashion Merchandising Program CCDC; Michelle Mitchell, National Export Initiative International Trade Association; Darrel Gilbert Mottley, DC Bar Association and Patent Attorney, Banner & Witcoff, Ltd.; Kristina Montanaro, Master of Laws in Intellectual Property, May 2011; and Harry Thomas, Jr., Council Member Ward 5 & Chair of DC Council Committee on Economic Development.

The week will be sure to provide all participants with a better understanding of IP law in the fashion industry, introduce students to career opportunities in fashion law, and expose emerging designers to both the law encompassing their design rights and the legal professionals with knowledge to help protect those rights. FLW DC also provides an outlet to showcase the talent of emerging and established designers. A comprehensive list of FLW DC 2012 panelists will be available at fashionlawwekkdc.org

Background on the Organization:
IPSA was established at the Howard University School of Law in the fall of 2003 to encourage law students to learn more about the legal field of IP. IPSA actively engages students in the practice of IP and its various forms, promotes the IP practice as a legal career, and seeks to increase the pool of qualified IP lawyers of color. Fashion Law Week™ DC demonstrates not only the growth of IPSA, but also its willingness to push the legal community to engage new issues.

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Ms. Uduak Oduok is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Ladybrille® Magazine. An industry insider with almost two decades of hands on extensive experience in the fashion and entertainment industry, she is also a trial attorney (with 10years experience) and has counseled a range of clients from musicians, models, actors and actresses to designers on numerous areas of the law including contracts, business law, fashion and entertainment law, copyright, trademark i.e. intellectual property law. She can be reached at ([email protected]) to share/pitch your Africa Fashion Law™ related stories with her. All other inquiries, please visit the www.ladybrillemag.com/contact for appropriate contact email.