I remember - being an old-timer in the fashion industry - when Dupont had a trademark fight about the fiber "nylon". They eventually lost and nylon became a generic name - so generic that I no longer remember whatever else the fiber was. Thanks TechDirt for you emails. Shirley Willett
I owned a high fashion manufacturing industry, and have received NSF grant awards in engineering design, which involved a lot of high tech. Some may remember me for arguing against copyrights in fashion design clothing at the copyright conference in Newport. My background is a factory stitcher in the 1940s and 50s, and loved working with my hands - and taught many students and proteges to reach success by what their hands can do to design and make 3D fashion clothing. Some are very successful in small businesses manufacturing and selling direct to consumers in art shows, etc. They are successful in working with their hands, and they use much of recent technology. There is a future developing very slowly that needs help, and can balance with machine learning and humans who love working with their hands - in all industries. "High-Tech/High-Touch" said John Naisbett. Thank you for listening.
Far more important to discuss is the problem outlined in the Sunday Boston Globe, "MONEY FOR ALL". Because there will never be the jobs for all people due to technology continually taken so many, there is a proposal for a "guaranteed basic income". I say not until we set a very different foundation in education, wherein each person is taught to value something in themselves, especially in the arts and creative ideas - something all human brains can do, but computers can not!!!
I have been a fashion designer with 3 corporations and 3 NSF engineering design grants. I started learning from experience in the industry in the 1940s. What I know has amazed everyone, because it is a little bit from many hundreds of people. And, oh yes, copying some taught me great technicalities. And, nothing from schools.
Today I am a mentor of a handful of young designers, teaching them to teach themselves and learn from others discriminately, especially from their consumers.
A side note, I wrote a few years ago against copyright in fashion design, and spoke on it at a copyright conference.
In my "Position Against Copyright Law in Fashion Design" I presented evidence to the opposite. I am a well-known Boston fashion designer, and had a manufacturing business for 20 years. I was intensely creative but argue against anything being really original in clothing design (graphics for textiles, yes). Please read my blog of that title
http://fashionsolutions.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.html
I explain that I presented my position at the Copyright Society last June, and in their recent law journal. The blog gives you many details of evidence to the contrary.
Good results happen from explaining the negative things occurring.
Sometime last year you wrote about the ridiculous proposed copyright law in fashion design. As a fashion designer and manufacturer for decades, I wrote a comment totally agreeing with you. Some from the Copyright Society saw it and asked me to be on a panel to talk about my position against it. I know I had influence and will be written up in one of the law journals. So... we'll kill the law.
And so, Michael, both your content on Techdirt and the Web as a great medium can achieve wonderful things - to change the negativity if we all know about it.
Thank you.
Thanks so much for reading my blog, and seeing my whole presentation to the Copyright Society. It was only other lawyers, pro-copyright law for fashion design, that I had to challenge. The audience of 300 layers and academics were far more on my side. I love what I read here on Techdirt about "Ideas are Easy - Execution is Difficult". My 60 years of success in fashion design and manufacturing (and consulting & education today) fully validates this.
Thanks to Mike, and all the rest of you on Techdirt. Your opinions and perspectives are the future, not the old hat past.
I started #7, but it was cut off, so here again complete and now will make sense.
It was a comment I wrote on Techdirt Feb. 15, that fashion design copyright law is ridiculous, that Chris Sprigman, a law professor saw and he asked that I be on the panel for the “Copyrighting Couture” June 9, at the Copyright Society’s Annual Meeting. I’ve been meaning to write something up for Techdirt about the great success (from the audience of about 300 lawyers and law academics) of my challenge to all the those (most others on the panel) who were for a copyright law. You can see all my papers and graphics on my blog, Fashion Solutions.
When I saw “ghost writers” I immediately thought of the first sentence of my talk. Almost all top label and celebrity designers have young people doing the designing – and they have some nerve to ask that the design ideas be copyrighted to them.
"The battle in copyright law is really between big brand, celebrity designers – most of whom do not do their own designing, and whose profits protect their old hat production – and with tiny (DEs) design entrepreneurs, who have no voice in Washington - and with the copyright law would soon be extinct."
I do not know about writing, but regarding technology vs. fashion design ideas, my 3rd paragraph explained that manufacturing and pattern technologies are far more important than ideas. The copyists who manufacture so well are more innovative.
"Innovative production and pattern technologies help reduce prices and raise quality, and are more integral of the true fashion industry – than the look of styles – and doesn’t get, and doesn’t need, government protection. Fashion design is nothing without manufacturing. There are top brand labels copying themselves now, with fast, inexpensive and quality productions - that is the future. AAFA, representing manufacturers, are against the present copyright law proposal."
I finished my 2 minute talk with the following.
"Today, I am devoted to a new fashion industry for young DEs, for consumers, and to help empower the disadvantaged – giving them my Stylometrics innovative pattern and production systems – for free to copy. Everyone’s a designer – everyone copies – everyone makes money on making – producing at low-cost. Fashion ideas are a dime a dozen."
Thanks Techdirt & Michael for great writeups.. I love all the ideas you represent and fight for.
It was a comment I wrote on Techdirt Feb. 15, that fashion design copyright law is ridiculous, that Chris Sprigman, a law professor saw and he asked that I be on the panel for the “Copyrighting Couture” June 9, at the Copyright Society’s Annual Meeting. I’ve been meaning to write something up for Techdirt about the great success (from the audience of about 300 lawyers and law academics) of my challenge to all the those (most others on the panel) who were for a copyright law. You can see all my papers and graphics on my blog Fashion Solutions
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by shirleywillett.
Nylon & trademark fight
I remember - being an old-timer in the fashion industry - when Dupont had a trademark fight about the fiber "nylon". They eventually lost and nylon became a generic name - so generic that I no longer remember whatever else the fiber was. Thanks TechDirt for you emails. Shirley Willett
The future and working with the hands.
I owned a high fashion manufacturing industry, and have received NSF grant awards in engineering design, which involved a lot of high tech. Some may remember me for arguing against copyrights in fashion design clothing at the copyright conference in Newport.
My background is a factory stitcher in the 1940s and 50s, and loved working with my hands - and taught many students and proteges to reach success by what their hands can do to design and make 3D fashion clothing. Some are very successful in small businesses manufacturing and selling direct to consumers in art shows, etc. They are successful in working with their hands, and they use much of recent technology. There is a future developing very slowly that needs help, and can balance with machine learning and humans who love working with their hands - in all industries. "High-Tech/High-Touch" said John Naisbett.
Thank you for listening.
Computers vs. humans
Far more important to discuss is the problem outlined in the Sunday Boston Globe, "MONEY FOR ALL". Because there will never be the jobs for all people due to technology continually taken so many, there is a proposal for a "guaranteed basic income". I say not until we set a very different foundation in education, wherein each person is taught to value something in themselves, especially in the arts and creative ideas - something all human brains can do, but computers can not!!!
Many teachers to one student is ideal
I have been a fashion designer with 3 corporations and 3 NSF engineering design grants. I started learning from experience in the industry in the 1940s. What I know has amazed everyone, because it is a little bit from many hundreds of people. And, oh yes, copying some taught me great technicalities. And, nothing from schools.
Today I am a mentor of a handful of young designers, teaching them to teach themselves and learn from others discriminately, especially from their consumers.
A side note, I wrote a few years ago against copyright in fashion design, and spoke on it at a copyright conference.
Thanks Mike for your great "Techdirt".
Re: Evidence to the oppposite
In my "Position Against Copyright Law in Fashion Design" I presented evidence to the opposite. I am a well-known Boston fashion designer, and had a manufacturing business for 20 years. I was intensely creative but argue against anything being really original in clothing design (graphics for textiles, yes). Please read my blog of that title
http://fashionsolutions.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.html
I explain that I presented my position at the Copyright Society last June, and in their recent law journal. The blog gives you many details of evidence to the contrary.
Happy New Year - Keep up the great work, Michael
Good results happen from explaining the negative things occurring.
Sometime last year you wrote about the ridiculous proposed copyright law in fashion design. As a fashion designer and manufacturer for decades, I wrote a comment totally agreeing with you. Some from the Copyright Society saw it and asked me to be on a panel to talk about my position against it. I know I had influence and will be written up in one of the law journals. So... we'll kill the law.
And so, Michael, both your content on Techdirt and the Web as a great medium can achieve wonderful things - to change the negativity if we all know about it.
Thank you.
Re: Ghost Fashion Designers, Comment by Anonymous Coward
Thanks so much for reading my blog, and seeing my whole presentation to the Copyright Society. It was only other lawyers, pro-copyright law for fashion design, that I had to challenge. The audience of 300 layers and academics were far more on my side. I love what I read here on Techdirt about "Ideas are Easy - Execution is Difficult". My 60 years of success in fashion design and manufacturing (and consulting & education today) fully validates this.
Thanks to Mike, and all the rest of you on Techdirt. Your opinions and perspectives are the future, not the old hat past.
How About Ghost Fashion Designers!
I started #7, but it was cut off, so here again complete and now will make sense.
It was a comment I wrote on Techdirt Feb. 15, that fashion design copyright law is ridiculous, that Chris Sprigman, a law professor saw and he asked that I be on the panel for the “Copyrighting Couture” June 9, at the Copyright Society’s Annual Meeting. I’ve been meaning to write something up for Techdirt about the great success (from the audience of about 300 lawyers and law academics) of my challenge to all the those (most others on the panel) who were for a copyright law. You can see all my papers and graphics on my blog, Fashion Solutions.
When I saw “ghost writers” I immediately thought of the first sentence of my talk. Almost all top label and celebrity designers have young people doing the designing – and they have some nerve to ask that the design ideas be copyrighted to them.
"The battle in copyright law is really between big brand, celebrity designers – most of whom do not do their own designing, and whose profits protect their old hat production – and with tiny (DEs) design entrepreneurs, who have no voice in Washington - and with the copyright law would soon be extinct."
I do not know about writing, but regarding technology vs. fashion design ideas, my 3rd paragraph explained that manufacturing and pattern technologies are far more important than ideas. The copyists who manufacture so well are more innovative.
"Innovative production and pattern technologies help reduce prices and raise quality, and are more integral of the true fashion industry – than the look of styles – and doesn’t get, and doesn’t need, government protection. Fashion design is nothing without manufacturing. There are top brand labels copying themselves now, with fast, inexpensive and quality productions - that is the future. AAFA, representing manufacturers, are against the present copyright law proposal."
I finished my 2 minute talk with the following.
"Today, I am devoted to a new fashion industry for young DEs, for consumers, and to help empower the disadvantaged – giving them my Stylometrics innovative pattern and production systems – for free to copy. Everyone’s a designer – everyone copies – everyone makes money on making – producing at low-cost. Fashion ideas are a dime a dozen."
Thanks Techdirt & Michael for great writeups.. I love all the ideas you represent and fight for.
How About Ghost Fashion Designers!
It was a comment I wrote on Techdirt Feb. 15, that fashion design copyright law is ridiculous, that Chris Sprigman, a law professor saw and he asked that I be on the panel for the “Copyrighting Couture” June 9, at the Copyright Society’s Annual Meeting. I’ve been meaning to write something up for Techdirt about the great success (from the audience of about 300 lawyers and law academics) of my challenge to all the those (most others on the panel) who were for a copyright law. You can see all my papers and graphics on my blog Fashion Solutions