Copy movies? Copy Clothes? Maybe there's a similarity here

I just read an article Hollywood and the hackers which is a brief edit of comments by both John Perry Barlow, (ex) lyricist for the Greatful Dead, and US Congressman Dan Glickman, currently President and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America.

The one comment that struck me was Glickman's, "Would a clothing store give all their clothes for free?" as he counters Barlow's "... I've made a fair amount of money over the years writing songs for 'The Grateful Dead' who allowed their fans to tape their concerts."

Leaving aside the fact that Glickman is comparing apples to oranges by talking about hard goods vs. digital goods since the cost of copying one is real where the other (digital) is almost nonexistant (and born solely by the copier, not the manufacturer) the fact is that the clothing industry actually has more in common with today's music/video/publication copying phenomenum than it might appear on the surface.

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Clothing design "knock-offs" happen world-wide, and yet clothing designers seem to be able to make a living. Clothing designs are not copyrightable in the US (and other countries) on the ground that they are "useful items". PROTECTING WORKS OF FASHION FROM DESIGN PIRACY by Christine Magdo of Harvard Law School, is an in-depth look at the fashion industry and the potential for changes. The thing to note is that today's clothing industry can create these "knock-offs" so fast that in many cases they come onto the market before the originals do.

Sound familiar?