The New Yorker has a great article about a study done that identifies the lack of copyrights and patents in the fashion industry as a major source of the industry’s continued success. The article is definitely a good read, although I do not know why the author is so stubborn (at the end) in thinking a similar model would not work for all or most other industries.
The article is particularly timely for me, because I have been reading a history of fashion and thinking about the related IP issues. I guess this article and study saves me the trouble of having to write one.