Apparel & Fashion Law

How apparel companies and fashion designers should effectively protect their products through intellectual property rights such as copyrights, trademarks, and design rights is a crucial issue in fashion law. In the context of copyright law, a delicate balance between industrial development and the protection of creators' rights must be considered, often leading to complex legal challenges. The use of copyrighted works is strongly influenced by industry customs, making it essential for attorneys handling such cases to have a deep understanding of the fashion industry’s values.
Additionally, like any other business, apparel companies deal with a range of legal matters, including procurement of raw materials, manufacturing, distribution contracts, financing, corporate governance, labor issues, disputes with business partners, and M&A. Industry-specific customs must also be taken into account when providing legal advice in these areas.
Our firm includes attorneys who have studied at Bunka Fashion College, a prestigious fashion school, and all of our lawyers possess extensive experience in corporate legal matters and fluency in multiple languages. This collaborative expertise enables us to provide comprehensive legal services in the fashion industry.
Furthermore, in connection with the fashion industry, SAKURA Law Firm also provides legal representation and advisory services for entertainment agencies, talents, artists, and models. For more details, please refer to the Show Business section.

Brand Protection

In the highly developed modern economic market, the importance of branding and design is increasing across various industries, including the apparel sector. However, with advancements in technology, acts of brand infringement and imitation have become easier, making legal brand protection and management essential for businesses.
SAKURA Law Firm provides comprehensive legal services for brand protection through intellectual property rights, as well as dispute resolution, including negotiations and litigation, in cases of brand infringement.

Achievements

• Resolution of disputes between domestic sales agents over foreign brand trademarks
• Settlement of disputes between overseas brands and their Japanese subsidiaries
• Agency agreements between overseas brands and Japanese distributors
• Contracts for Japanese businesses opening stores in large overseas shopping malls
• Joint venture agreements and corporate management contracts for the Japanese expansion of overseas brands
• Legal negotiations related to brand sales