Baldwin Park, CA asked in Criminal Law, Copyright and Intellectual Property for Indiana

Q: Does Indiana state civil or criminal law prohibit a party from selling knockoff clothing/copied sewing patterns?

I was informed that Indiana criminalizes parties who sell knockoff clothing where the knockoff item duplicates the exact sewing pattern of another brand's clothing. There is no intellectual property infringement in the act of selling knockoffs, as long as the knockoff is not using a trademark, patent or copyright. On what basis does Indiana law make it illegal to prosecute a party for copying another's stitching pattern on clothing?

1 Lawyer Answer

A: If it is a knock off it is implied it is violating some intellectual property.

IF it is not violating a copyright, trademark, patent, personal image, etc. then there is no violation and it is not a knock off.

IF IT feels wrong, don't do it.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.