Daily LInks
1. Prices For Even ‘Accessible’ Luxury Brands Skyrockets. “Middle class professionals who once saved up for a luxury investment handbag or coat have been aggressively priced out.” – Read More on Media Post
2. Who owns AI art? Copyright questions are throwing a wrench into generative AI at every turn, from training data to questions about who controls the output. – Read More on the Verge
3. RELATED READ: AI Trained on Copyrighted Works: When Is It Fair Use? In cases where the end goal of machine learning is new functionality, the use is likely transformative. Some examples could be using the learned ability to recognize faces or types of objects in the pictures for purposes other than generating art. – Read More on TFL
4. No big boost expected in luxury spending during holiday season – Bain. “It will really be linked to tourist flows,” said Bain partner Federica Levato of spending on high end goods in Europe, noting that local shoppers had reined back spending after three years of strong, post-pandemic growth. – Read More on Reuters
5. Does Elon Grok the Trademark Issues With ‘Grok’? AI Chip Company Groq Does. Now, Groq and xAI are in different, but related businesses. Groq is making the chips that make it possible for any generative AI model to be insanely fast (their demo is on Llama 2), but they’re both in the AI business. – Read More on TechDirt
6. How Chinese e-commerce fuels counterfeit fashion in Nigeria. In Nigeria, these knockoffs or counterfeits are known as “fake originals.” Modeled on popular sports or luxury brands, they cost a fraction of the price of an original. – Read More on Rest of World
1. Meta, Alphabet, ByteDance, Snap must face social media addiction lawsuits. A federal judge on Tuesday rejected efforts by major social media companies to dismiss nationwide litigation accusing them of illegally enticing and then addicting millions of children to their platforms, damaging their mental health. – Read More on Reuters
2. The SAG Deal Sends a Clear Message About AI and Workers. The SAG deal is similar to the DGA and WGA deals in that it demands protections for any instance where machine-learning tools are used to manipulate or exploit their work. – Read More on Wired
3. Building an e-commerce sales success story is getting more complex and costly. The FTC lawsuit against the retail giant alleges it uses “monopoly power” to control prices, stifle competition and force independent sellers to pay high fulfillment and advertising costs. – Read More on CNBC
4. No Shame in the Game: Why Consumers Are Proudly Flaunting Dupes. “Dupe, private label, call it what you want, consumers want more,” and that’s a sentiment that lives on. This is because inflation is highly relevant, much like it was earlier this year. – Read More on PYMNTS
5. RETRO READ: Searches for “Replicas” Are Down Thanks to the Rise of the Dupe. The new use of “dupe” refers to products that make unauthorized use of brands’ names and other legally-protected trademarks, meaning that they are not “dupe,” but trademark infringing and/or counterfeit goods. – Read More on TFL
6. YouTube creators will soon have to disclose use of gen AI in videos or risk suspension. YouTube is rolling out new rules for AI content, including a requirement that creators reveal whether they’ve used generative artificial intelligence to make realistic looking videos. – Read More on AP
1. Google Sues to Block AI Ads Preying on Small Businesses. Scammers are capitalizing on the rush of consumer interest in artificial-intelligence tools to steal U.S. small businesses’ social-media-account passwords, Google alleges in a new lawsuit. – Read More on WSJ
2. US retailers stuck with excess stock offer bargains as holiday season nears. Major U.S. retailers from Walmart to Macy’s could be saddled with too much stock for a second straight year, jeopardizing retailers’ profit margins and generating steep discounts for shoppers. – Read More on Reuters
3. U.S. forced labor laws strain China-dependent garment supply chains. The garment industry’s reliance on China for materials is presenting a major challenge as the U.S. “aggressively” cracks down on products with links to Xinjiang province. – Read More on Nikkei
4. The story behind the £1m handbag – and other outrageously priced fashion items. The bag is one of many items this season that come with eye-watering price tags. Those who can’t stretch to a Millionaire Speedy could instead elect to blow their budget on a £50,000 Burberry cocktail dress, a £14,000 Valentino skirt, a £11,500 Brunello Cucinelli jacket or a £7000 Bottega Veneta tote. – Read More on the Telegraph
5. No trademark for ‘Everybody vs. Racism,’ US appeals court says. A U.S. appeals court on Monday said the phrase “Everybody vs. Racism,” cannot be granted a trademark because it is not used to identify the maker or seller of a specific product. – Read More on Reuters
6. Chinese fast fashion retailer Temu overtakes Shein to dominate Japan and South Korea apps. “Temu has rapidly expanded its footprint beyond the U.S. and into a number of international geographies and we believe is now available in 40+ countries … where we continue to see opportunities for growth in the quarters ahead.” – Read More on CNBC
1. Luxury ecommerce groups lose their sparkle after top labels play digital catch-up. The waning fortunes of ecommerce groups partly reflects a tougher environment post-coronavirus as the luxury and ecommerce sectors cool. However it also points to the increasing digital heft of the luxury or high-end brands that make the products. – Read More on the FT
2. Biden must decide whether patent-infringing Apple watches can be imported into the U.S. from China by Christmas–but Congress could neuter America’s ability to protect its IP altogether. The U.S. International Trade Commission recently issued an order that could prohibit imports of some Apple Watch products. – Read More on Fortune
3. Tech Disrupted Hollywood. AI Almost Destroyed It. In Hollywood, the fear was that AI would be used to scan actors and recreate their performances without consent or compensation, or that large language models would be used on scripts in a way that would edge out screenwriters. – Read More on Wired
4. OpenAI seeks partnerships to generate AI training data. ChatGPT maker OpenAI said on Thursday it intends to work with organizations to produce public and private datasets for training artificial intelligence (AI) models. – Read More on Reuters
5. Silicon Valley’s Big, Bold Sci-Fi Bet on the Device That Comes After the Smartphone. Humane, a company started by two former Apple employees, says its new artificial intelligence pin can stop all the scrolling. Can it live up to the hype? – Read More on NYTimes
6. Temu, Shein, Miravia: Amazon’s aggressive Chinese e-commerce rivals. These new online retail apps have been fast-tracking their way with all kinds of promotions and big discounts, basing their strategy on significant incentives to buy. – Read More on El Pais
1. Making Farfetch Fashionable to Investors Again Is a Stretch. Farfetch’s misadventure has saddled it with $1.6 billion of total debt and shriveled its market capitalization to about $630 million today from a peak of $26 billion in 2021 at the height of the pandemic’s online craze. – Read More on Bloomberg
2. Big Tech wants AI regulation. The rest of Silicon Valley is skeptical. A growing group of tech heavyweights — including influential venture capitalists, the CEOs of midsize software companies and proponents of open-source technology — are pushing back, claiming that laws for AI could snuff out competition in a vital new field. – Read More on Washington Post
3. Philadelphia Eagles file trademark application for “Kelly Green.” The Philadelphia Eagles have filed a trademark application for use of the phrase “Kelly green” as the debut of the throwback uniforms drives excitement and sky-high demand for merchandise. – Read More on Biz Journals
4. RELATED READ: The Strategies, Hurdles of Building Trademark Rights in Color. Even though it is well-established that companies can amass rights in (and registrations for) single color trademarks, what is a bit less clear is what that actually entails for brands beyond the immediate use-in-commerce element. – Read More on TFL
5. Amazon must pay $46.7M in voice-assistant patent case, US jury says. The jury determined that Amazon infringed patents belonging to VB Assets, whose predecessor VoiceBox Technologies created voice-control software for companies including carmakers Toyota, Chrysler and Dodge and GPS makers TomTom and Magellan. – Read More on Reuters
6. How artificial intelligence will transform fame. Far from diluting star power, ai will make the biggest celebrities bigger than ever, by allowing them to be in all markets, in all formats, at all times. – Read More on the Economist
1. AI safety: How close is global regulation of artificial intelligence really? Consensus has been agreed on the need for regulation: 28 countries including the US, UK, and China, alongside the EU, signed the Bletchley Declaration, a world-first global agreement at the UK’s AI Safety Summit, saying as much. – Read More on BBC
2. Adidas says it may write off remaining unsold Yeezy shoes after breakup with Ye. The company will decide in the coming weeks whether or not to do a third release of the shoes next year to generate more donations to groups fighting antisemitism. – Read More on AP
3. Meta will require campaigns to disclose use of AI in political ads. Meta said the policy is meant to “help people understand when a social issue, election, or political advertisement on Facebook or Instagram has been digitally created or altered, including through the use of AI.” It will go into effect next year. – Read More on Washington Post
4. Next Met Gala theme unveiled: the ‘sleeping beauties’ of fashion. The stars of the Met’s spring exhibit will be treasured garments from the vast collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art – some too fragile to hang upright, lest they disintegrate. They will lie in glass cases, like Sleeping Beauty herself. – Read More on Bloomberg
5. Diego Maradona’s heirs win legal battle over use of trademark. Maradona had registered his name as a trademark with the European Union Intellectual Property Office in 2008 for a variety of products, clothing, footwear and headgear. – Read More on Yahoo
6. Global fashion factories in Bangladesh resigned to slimmer margins ahead of wage hike. Several clothing factory owners in Bangladesh are asking clients that include H&M to help them pay for an almost 60% government-mandated hike in wages, well aware that weaker sales might stymie their efforts. – Read More on Reuters
1. FTC seeks information on $8.5B Tapestry-Capri deal. Tapestry agreed to buy Capri in August, as the luxury brands looked to consolidate top labels such as Tapestry’s Kate Spade, Stuart Weitzman and Capri’s Jimmy Choo and Versace under one roof to compete with larger rivals such as Paris-listed LVMH in the European luxury market. – Read More on Reuters
2. Watches of Switzerland bets on second-hand luxury. “We are excited by the opportunity available to us in the pre-owned market, particularly from the new Rolex Certified Pre-Owned program, which we expect to deliver 20% of new Rolex in the U.S. and 10% in the UK by FY28,” CEO Brian Duffy said. – Read More on Yahoo
3. An AI just negotiated a contract for the first time ever — and no human was involved. British AI firm Luminance developed an AI system based on its own proprietary large language model (LLM) to automatically analyze and make changes to contracts. – Read More on CNBC
4. Shein Targets Up to $90 Billion Valuation in US IPO. The company has told prospective investors that it’s aiming to fetch a valuation of $80 billion to $90 billion in a listing, the people said. The timing of the share sale remains uncertain given the market volatility, according to the people. – Read More on Bloomberg
5. It’s Time for Boards to Take AI Seriously. Because AI is so fundamentally disruptive (strategically, operationally, and competitively), the board has an obligation to its shareholders to drive and oversee the change. – Read More on HBR
6. LVMH considers buying back Off-White license from Farfetch. LVMH has been in on-and-off talks with Farfetch in recent months about acquiring the license to make and distribute the fashion brand Off-White. – Read More on Seeking Alpha
1. OpenAI promises to defend business customers against copyright claims. As part of a new program, OpenAI says that it’ll pay the legal costs incurred by customers — specifically customers using the “generally available” features of OpenAI’s developer platform and ChatGPT Enterprise — who face lawsuits over IP claims against work generated by an OpenAI tool. – Read More on TechCrunch
2. Ant Group wins approval to release AI products to Chinese public. Unlike other countries, China requires companies to submit security assessments and receive clearance before releasing AI products to the public. – Read More on Reuters
3. U.S. Retailers Say an Old Trade Law Puts Them at a Disadvantage. A nearly century-old rule exempts many packages from foreign e-commerce companies like Shein and Temu from U.S. customs fees. American trade groups want it changed. – Read More on New York Times
4. RELATED READ: Regulating the Industry: A Running Tracker of Fashion-Focused Legislation. The Import Security and Fairness Act would “close a key loophole” that foreign companies exploit to avoid paying duties and fees to unfairly compete in the U.S. marketplace. – Read More on TFL
5. Fashion’s efforts to go green cancelled out by shopaholics. The companies had reduced the carbon impact of their textiles by 12% and water by 4% (on a per-ton basis) between 2019 and 2022. However, this was negated by a 13% increase in the volume of textiles produced and sold, according to the report. – Read More on the Guardian
6. Boohoo breaks promises on ethical overhaul. “If you are always putting that pressure on your supply chain, what we typically then see are problems.” – Read More on BBC
1. No one wants to buy luxury goods online anymore. Website visits to Burberry.com have fallen every single month of 2023. Gucci.com hasn’t had a positive month since January 2022. – Read More on the FT
2. AI Needs Rules, but Who Will Get to Make Them? The U.K.’s AI Safety Summit highlighted the outsize role that AI companies are playing in the conversation about regulation – at the expense of many who stand to be affected but lack a financial stake in AI’s success. – Read More on Scientific American
3. The circular economy promises to remake retail. Why is it so hard to trust? For other companies, even if sustainability isn’t a key differentiator, brand-owned resale sites can help capture some of the value that would otherwise go to secondhand markets. – Read More on TechCrunch
4. Sustainable alternatives key to combating fast fashion’s environmental toll, study finds. One of the study’s key findings highlights the potential of the second-hand clothing market as an eco-friendly way to deal with the fast fashion conundrum. – Read More on Phys.org
5. Why The Fashion Industry Underwent Merger Mania In 2023. Rising rates, sticky inflation and the prospect of slowing consumer spending have sparked a flurry of deals in the fashion industry as companies look to mergers and acquisitions for growth. – Read More on CNBC
6. The Hermès Game: how the luxury house is defying the slowdown. Hermès, by contrast, has more buyers than it can handle for its high-end handbags, largely insulating it from downturns. – Read More on the FT
1. Hong Kong just reclaimed the global luxury crown. Mainland Chinese visitors have flocked to the city, including for the recent National Day ‘golden week’ break, with jeweler the fastest luxury sector to bounce back in the APAC region. – Read More on SCMP
2. Gen Z and millennials have a lucrative new hobby: flipping designer handbags. There is a new wave of resellers thriving in a sky-rocketing resale market, the result of a perfect economic storm. Luxury brands scaled back production during COVID-19’s early days, even as demand grew among bored shoppers sitting on pandemic savings. – Read More on Fortune
3. RELATED READ: The Potential Paradox of the Investment Handbag. There may be some consensus that luxury goods “can sometimes hedge against inflation when they appreciate in value,” but the prospect of handbags as assets is not without nuance. – Read More on TFL
4. Bankrupt and loving it: Welcome to the lucrative world of undead brands. When a company goes under, it’s often sold for its parts, including its IP. Someone who buys this can attempt a sort of retail taxidermy: stuff new operations inside that familiar shell, give it a new charge and hopefully do better. – Read More on NPR
5. New details of FTC antitrust lawsuit against Amazon made public. New details of the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust lawsuit against Amazon were made public on Thursday, including the government’s claim the online giant deliberately raised prices by more than $1 billion through secret algorithms. – Read More on Reuters
6. Scarlett Johansson Takes Legal Action Against AI App That Ripped Off Her Likeness in Advertisement. Johansson appeared in a 22-second ad posted on X/Twitter by an artificial intelligence image-generating app called Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar. – Read More on Variety
7. AI Safety Summit: China, US and EU agree to work together. China agreed to work with the United States, European Union and other countries to collectively manage the risk from artificial intelligence at a British summit on Wednesday aimed at charting a safe way forward for the rapidly evolving tech. – Read More on Reuters