If you create original sketches of your designs, those sketches are protected by copyright law. That means that no one can copy, distribute, publicly display, etc. ... Copyright law protects the designs on the surface of clothing just as it protects designs on the surface of a canvas or sheet of paper.

Can clothing designs be copyrighted?

Copyright protects the creators of intellectual property of works of art, which means your design cannot be reproduced or duplicated without your permission. However, clothing is considered a "useful article." This means you cannot copyright the clothes themselves, or even the design.

Are designs automatically copyrighted?

In the United States, every designer automatically owns the copyright to their work, except for in the work-for-hire situations mentioned above. There's no need to register a copyright with the US Patent and Trademark Office like there is to get the protections that come with patenting a concept.