Fashion Industry Copes with Covid-19. A Legal, Technological and Sociological Reflection

Book excerpt: The SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic has halted the global economy and forced its reorganization on many levels. This phenomenon caused a shock, the effects of which will be felt for a long time both on the micro and macro scale. Creative industries, including the fashion and design industries (Textile, Clothing, Leather, and Footwear, TCLF) that are the subject of this publication, are struggling to maintain normal levels of production, employment, financial liquidity. They must additionally confront new challenges in the areas of intellectual property rights and their approach to the e-commerce world. Businesses found themselves faced with an uncertain future and new obstacles, but also with opportunities. These challenges now affect the traditionally fastpaced fashion sector, which has been driven for many years by consumers’ desire for ever more design and by the industry’s own thirst for profit. In the Polish perspective, it should also be borne in mind that, according to the report of PKO Bank Polski in 2019, the clothing industry in Poland showed an upward trend, ranking the country in 8th place in Europe by size of the clothing sector in 2017. As for the entrepreneurs making clothing, in 2017 there were 12,700 of them, placing Poland third in Europe. Finally, for employment, in the same year in Poland, 85,000 were employed in the clothing sector, which was the 5th place in the European ranking. These statistics clearly demonstrate why this sector requires closer analysis in these changed times, including a refreshed SWOT analysis taking account of the new reality. Given this situation, the Center for Design, Fashion and Advertising Law of the University of Silesia initiated research to determine how the clothing sector in Poland is coping and how the legal environment interacts with the Covid challenges. Thanks to a joint effort of scientists and legal practitioners, this publication was created consisting of 39 chapters grouped into the following 12 parts: Social and legal context, International and regulatory context, Product safety, Contracts, Copyright law, Design law and trademark law, Technology law, Unfair competition law, Labour law, Fine arts market, Sustainable Development, E-commerce. The editors would like to thank all of the authors for their efforts examining the development trends in the TCLF sector and for contributing the immeasurable amounts of energy and understanding that allowed us to complete this project. This book is the result of the authors’ significant commitment. Editors would like to give special thanks to Śląski Holding Przemysłowy that shared the company’s expertise about their two large industrial production plants employing over 500 employees, which kept working in a continuous operation system, without a single case of infection by COVID-19. We are grateful to the institutions that undertook honorary patronage of our initiative. Words of thanks go also to the strategic, content and media partners. The premiere of the publication will take place in conjunction with a music premiere, details of which can be found on the cover.