The United States Constitution (Article I, Section 8) instructs Congress that it is “to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries”

But the founding fathers never thought about whether file sharing is theft or where the line should be drawn between inspiration and plagiarism in the fashion industry. In some U.S. industries (most notably motion pictures and music), congress has enacted extraordinary penalties for both people who share, copy or illegally view the copyrighted materials, and the people who pirate the content. However, in the fashion industry, Congress (unlike its counterparts in the EU) has resisted providing designers with any protection for their designs.

However, that could change if H.R. 2033 is enacted into law. Something that looks more likely this year then ever before.

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