Indian fashion designers voice concern over plagiarism

03 Sep '12

3 min read

Plagiarism is an alarming issue which has affected every industry related to intellectual creativity. The unethical practice of carbon copying someone else’s brainchild has crept its way into the Indian fashion industry as well.

Fibre2fashion spoke to three well-known Indian fashion designers – Deepika Govind, Tarun Tahiliani and Raghavendra Rathore – on the issue that is bothering every Indian designer today. The ace designers commented on how plagiarism is hampering the fashion industry and the legislative measures that can be adopted to stop or minimize such practices.

Deepika Govind

“There’s a thin line between inspiration and plagiarism, but the increasing incidence of outright carbon-copying – color, cut and detailing – is disconcerting. It reflects the offender’s innate sense of insecurity and desperation to rise at any cost,” says Deepika Govind on the issue of fashion plagiarism and the psyche behind it.

She mentions that as of now, fashion is termed as luxury and does not come under the jurisdiction of copyright laws, and hence some sort of legal measures ought to be there against such unlawful practice.

The designer adds “Like a book or a work of art, a garment worth more than a certain amount, should be considered as creative, personal endeavour and there should be certain legislative protection against outright copying like the IPR or copyright laws, where strict punitive action can be taken against the offenders.”

Tarun Tahiliani

“In India, with the multitude of tailors and embroiderers easily accessible, plagiarism is rampant and it deeply pains me as well as flatters me to see my designs blatantly copied and sold all over India. However, the clothes that have been copied can never duplicate the Tarun Tahiliani Design Studio’s superior fabric, embroidery, fit and finish,” says the ace designer.

He adds that fashion plagiarism hampers a designer’s business and reputation. Moreover, the designer also looses out on monetary compensation for the hard work he/she has put in.

When prodded about the necessary corrective measures needed for addressing the issue, the designer opines, “Designers have to be very strict about where their designs are sent. Tighter controls have to be ensured within the factory area so that panels and swatches do not get leaked.”

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