When Appearances Are Deceiving
Imitations may be a form of flattery, but when it involves the look and feel of a product or package – a concept known as trade dress – the repercussions can be serious. The problem is that many businesses don’t understand how easily the appearance of products and packaging can be legally copied, so they fail to develop and protect trade dress as they do other trademarks. In this paper, Gabriel Gelb discusses how companies can make the most of trade dress, while reducing their vulnerability to imitation.
