The process of “knocking off” the work of others has been an integral practice of the United States ready-to-wear industry since the 1890s. In the 1930s, the Fashion Originators Guild of America (FOGA) created an internal system to protect its members’ design work, but in 1941 this system was declared in restraint of trade, and the next best protection option laid in the US design patent system. This research examines the 4,523 dress patents issued in the United States between 1936 and 1942, focusing on the designers and/or manufacturers represented and the process and timing of patent applications. Analysis of select court cases of design patent infringement, including a case study of a patent for “The Perfect Dress” by leading FOGA member and ready-to-wear dress manufacturer Samuel Zahn, demonstrates the difficulty of protecting a patented dress design and the complicated nature of what constituted an original design.

自 1890 年代以来，“模仿”他人作品的过程一直是美国成衣行业不可或缺的做法。20世纪30年代，美国时尚原创者协会（FOGA）创建了一个内部系统来保护其成员的设计作品，但在1941年该系统被宣布限制贸易，而下一个最佳保护选择是美国设计专利制度。本研究调查了 1936 年至 1942 年间美国颁发的 4,523 项服装专利，重点关注所代表的设计师和/或制造商以及专利申请的流程和时间。对部分外观设计专利侵权法庭案件的分析，包括 FOGA 领先成员和成衣制造商 Samuel Zahn 的“The Perfect Dress”专利案例研究，