Textiles

Whether your focus is on polymers, fibres, yarns, fabrics, adjuncts (e.g. dyes) and/or other aspects of textiles, our attorneys are well-placed to protect your brand and innovation.

Our experienced team can provide clear and precise guidance, helping you to implement effective IP strategies in a range of areas, including:

• Polymer compositions
• Fibre production
• Yarn production
• Knitting and weaving
• Production of non-woven textiles
• Colorants and other chemical finishing
• Mechanical finishing
• Composite articles
• Papers
• Synthetic leathers
• Recycling and composting

At the time of writing, the textile industry faces both opportunities and challenges in terms of circularity and sustainability. There are complex considerations in terms of material and research costs for organisations of varying sizes, at varying levels of the supply chain. Consumer and regulatory demand changes quickly. At the same time, new breakthroughs in textile functionality have been disrupting diverse areas, from sport to aviation to medical practice.

That’s a lot to grapple with. We can take care of associated IP considerations, leaving you free to continue innovating and running your business.

Our clients in this sector include those at the level of multi-national corporations; we are at ease handling large and established patent portfolios. We also cater for other business sizes - perhaps you are a knit goods manufacturer considering an IP audit; a university spin-out looking to implement enzymatic textile degradation; or a start-up focussed on reducing water waste in textile production. We will carefully consider the nature of your business and help determine the right IP strategy for you.

How to learn more

The most relevant forms of protection for intellectual property in the textiles sphere will likely include trade marks for brand protection; designs for how products look (especially apparel); and patents and utility models for technical ideas (such as new compostable polymers). To learn more, please get in touch with Anne-Marie Conn, Matthew Fletcher or Rebecca Atkins.