3D Printing and the Fashion Industry: Will Things Ever be the Same?

Consumers enjoy many fashion products that are produced for them, whether they are couture or off-the-rack. Meanwhile, lawyers representing fashion brands are having unique conversations with their clients about how 3D printing affects the fashion industry.

Will 3D printing primarily affect massed-produced goods such as socks or cosmetic bags, or is it so far out of left field that it will have no influence whatsoever on your business or client's business?

Before advising your client that a contract is signature-ready, attorneys should be aware of how pervasive 3D technology can be on the fashion life cycle. Specifically, they must account for the impact of the technology on vendor agreements, consumer interaction, and more.

Learning Objectives:

I.   Grasp 3D printing mechanics and and its applicability to the fashion Industry

II.  Identify the advantages and disadvantages of the technology from both a business and legal standpoint

III. Recognize the outstanding (and perhaps currently unanswerable) legal questions