“CHALLENGES FACED BY THE FASHION INDUSTRY IN THE DIGITAL WORLD: TRADEMARK VIS-À-VIS BRAND MANAGEMENT”

AUTHOR – MS. PRASHASTI BHATI, L.L.M. (IP) STUDENT AT AMITY UNIVERSITY SECTOR 125 NOIDA

BEST CITATION – MS. PRASHASTI BHATI, “CHALLENGES FACED BY THE FASHION INDUSTRY IN THE DIGITAL WORLD: TRADEMARK VIS-À-VIS BRAND MANAGEMENT”, ILE MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, 4 (2) OF 2025, PG. 186-197, APIS – 3920-0007 | ISSN – 2583-7230

1. INTRODUCTION

In today’s fashion world, a brand is much more than just the clothes it sells. It’s the name, the logo, the signature design everything that makes it instantly recognizable and trusted by customers. These unique brand elements are protected through trademarks, which help fashion labels stand out, build loyal customers, and protect their reputation from being copied or misused. As fashion becomes more global and moves increasingly into digital spaces like e-commerce and social media, protecting these trademarks has become much more complicated.

Online shopping platforms, social media influencers, and even virtual fashion in the metaverse have changed how people discover and buy fashion. But they’ve also made it easier for infringers to misuse famous brand names and designs. Now, fake versions of luxury products can be sold across the world with just a few clicks. Legal systems are struggling to keep up, especially when it comes to enforcing trademark rights across different countries and digital platforms. A key example of this is the Christian Louboutin vs. Nakul Bajaj case, where the court held an online platform accountable for selling fake branded shoes, setting an important precedent for digital trademark protection.

This paper looks at how trademarks help build and manage fashion brands, and why it’s getting harder to protect them in a digital-first world. It explores the challenges that big and small fashion brands face when it comes to protecting their identity. It also suggests that in today’s fast-changing industry, legal systems need to do more, not just by updating laws, but by using technology like AI and blockchain to detect fakes and keep brand trust intact.