Lululemon Lawsuit Shows Patents Work, If Fashion Repeats Itself

Figure 1 from Lululemon’s waistband patent.
Lululemon is suing Calvin Klein over yoga pants — specifically, over a particular v-shaped waist band.  While it’s arguable that the smaller, athletic wear-focused company is bringing litigation against Calvin Klein as a fairly savvy PR move, the lawsuit itself brings up a few interesting points regarding how patent law plays out in the fashion industry.  While we know designers can be pretty inclined to sue one another, the fact that Lululemon has a patent on this design (not just a trademark) throws the suit into a different light.