Sports Uniforms and Copyright: Implications for Applied Art Educators from the Star Athletica Decision

In the course of one decision, Star Athletica, the Supreme Court selected the appropriate test to delineate the line between copyrightable creative expression and non-copyrightable functional work, reversed a long-standing rule about the inability to copyright fashion, and changed the game for graphic and industrial designers wishing to protect the more pragmatic pieces of their art. This article proceeds with a brief history of the Star Athletica case, including the lower court judgments, a discussion of the Supreme Court holding in the case, the applicability of the Supreme Court holding to fashion, graphic design, and industrial design industries going forward, and concludes with some final thoughts about the implications of the outcome of the case.