Legal Issues and Intellectual Property

This chapter provides a foundational guide to the key legal issues fashion entrepreneurs will encounter throughout their business lifecycle. It begins by outlining crucial decisions around business structuring, from sole traders to companies, and explains how to choose the right legal vehicle for growth and investment. The chapter then delves into the protection of a brand’s most valuable creative assets through intellectual property, covering trademarks, reputation rights, copyright and registered designs. Finally, it addresses other critical areas of legal compliance, including consumer law, product safety and the ethical imperative of addressing modern slavery in the supply chain.