The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-08
DRESSMAKERSOF
 PARIS DECLARE
 WAR ON PIRATES
French Say They Are Willing for New York to Copy /. Gowns, But Only on a
 Royalty Basis
Special Cable to The Age Herald (CopYright. 1929. by The Age Heraldl


 
 Special Cable to The Age Herald (Copyright, 1922, by The Age -terald) Paris, January 7.--Although two Parisian modistes have just been found guilty of sartorial plagiarism and directed to pay damages of $15,- GOO and the world-famous creators of the Rue dc la Paix are rejoicing ex- ceedingly. they know the war be- tween artist and copyist is far from ended. They are meditating new tac- ties by which may be met the depredations of not only the adapt CTS" of Paris but of New York. A gown Is work of art. who can deny that? It was recognized before the world as such when the jury or l the autumn salon accepted along With Dada statuary and cubistic | painting an exhibit of fashionable models. If it is work of art. the artist owns it as a painter owns his | landscape or a poet his poem, and he should be protected from those who would steal the fruit of his genius. Thus argued the attorney of Made line Vionnet in her suit against the two modistes who had counterfefted a gown of her creation.
 Defense Contentious
 The defense argued that resem- blance Is not proof of copying; that the big designers were conspiring to | build a still greater monopoly in re- ! straint of art. Nj. Jacques Worth, who certainly looked more like dis tinguished artist than dressmaker, was one of the principal witnesses.
 "Eaoh season." he said, there steals over the Rue de la Paix new atmosphere--I cannot describe it more definitely than that-and all 1 the designers breathe It. Neverthe- less, the creations of each are dis tinct, individual, their own. l can tell you who designed gown by the | flair of it--by the technic, if you please, as a man judges a book or a picture.
 Built around the designers Is a world of business based on the traffic in stolen models. One of the big firms will spend 600,000 francs (nor- mally s120, ,000) to produce 400 models in a season Of these, 50 at the most will survive-the others must be abandoned Naturally, the copyists help themselves. to the 5o
 An occasional fine doesn't bother them. Sometimes, indeed, they con slider legal proceedings an asset Recently an actress went to a cer- tain modiste and asked for an ex- elusive model. She was hesitani about the one shown her and the copyist exclaimed angrily: I was sued for that model Look, here are the papers in the case. Ano what's more, l lost
 Such also was the testimony oi Paul Poiret-perhaps the most ire ouently copied designer in Paris and of M SonN who thought Mile iyionnet's creations might far mor' justly be called works of art thar a good deal of the war statuary h' saw scattered about the pubic [parks, and of many others.
 Designers To Unite
 The big designers intend to unitt for protection. They will establish a central office, an office for th' protection of industry, with lega staff to prosecute copysts, German English and especially American They mean to mark each one ol their models by a distinctive labe' difficult if not impossible to coun' terfeit. Paquin, for example, has ue' cided to thumb print his modeis Having once made copying difhcui, and expensive, they mean to sell reprOductlon TlshtS dN so "" copy.
 Admittedly it would be very diffi' cult to stop foreign firms from copying French models. After the trial Jacques Worth said, in talking of New York competition, that IT inc larger shops of that city, the signatures of Worth. Lanvin, Paquin Poiret and others printed on canvas are sold literally by the yard to ot seyed into exclusive Paris models, made east of Fifth avenue. He couic offer no effective scheme for stop pinr this and Paul Poiret could only suggest that foreign costumer' should pay the designer just as tns foreign publisher pays the author of a translated book!
 Quick Work Necessary
 But concerted legal action migh' well hamper the activities or tns style thieves in Paris. Their mar prop is the corruptible woman em' ployed, the midinette who for price will deliver the papers. "h' can be so discreet and so demur' that she may pass for years as trusted employe before being caught | And when she is caught, the style pirate-from whom she Is paid great deal more than she gets fol her honest labors-takes care of hei until she again secures employment in one of 1.-the big creating houses It Is a fast game. Styles chang, almost from month to month so tha it is essential to steal the origina as soon as it appears--or before.
 When they have no one within the shop, the pirates simply send 6 fashionably dressed woman to pur. chase the desired model. The de signers admit that against the clever woman, who sees a gown at tes or a ball that pleases her and make. herself copy they cannot protec themselves. Against all small seal, pirating 1t would be difficult to act It is the wholesale. International organized exploitation of the art O. certain individuals they are organ izing against.
 Tt is the nations duty to protec us." chorus Worth and Poiret ant Paquin and all the others from theil Luxurious shops along the Rye de li Paix.
 SCOUTS TO REORGANIZE Selma, January 7.-(Special.)-