Design Pirates Slice Into Fruit of the Loom in US

Design Pirates Slice Into Fruit of the Loom in US
Design pirates preying on US textile manufacturers may be more prone to pillaging than ever, as a surge of Asian imports makes pattern theft tougher to police.

The infusion of copyright capers comes as American textile makers struggle to compete with a wave of cheap imports that is expected to grow with the US government's plans to lift fabric import quotas at the end of the year.

To thwart copycats, George Shuster, chief executive of Cranston Textile Services, has set up a bounty program. If any Cranston employees see a potential rip-off, they buy it, and are either reimbursed if they're wrong or get a part of a legal settlement if right. "We invest a lot of money in our 40 designers. If someone steals a pattern, it's just like a thief coming into our business and stealing a pile of money," said Mr Shuster, who claims his Rhode Island company is the oldest textile manufacturer in the country.

Executives and trade groups are calling on Washington to get tougher on copyright infringement, which they say is bringing more harm to an already injured textile industry. Copyright infringement costs the industry more than $100m in lost sales every year, a US commerce department report estimates. Companies also dole out loads of cash in legal fees to attorneys that prosecute violators.