Giselle Defares considers the divide between theft and inspiration in fashion:
Designers… pull from the world around them. Moschino took clear inspiration from Spongebob Square Pants and McDonald’s in its fall collection. And a new lawsuit was just filed against Roberto Cavalli by California street artists for the brand’s incorporation of their work. … But this landscape is quite different for small fashion houses and young designers, who struggle to brand themselves with distinctive designs before they are copied. Intellectual property laws generally do not protect utilitarian items like clothing, although some original prints, patterns, colors and unique combinations can be protected by copyright.
The Dish 