INTERNATIONAL crime experts and leading Scottish businesses meeting in Glasgow on Friday to learn about fighting intellectual property theft will hear from a leading figure in the Harris Tweed industry.
Key speaker at the Scottish Business Resilience Centre event entitled The Real McCoy will be Mark Hogarth, creative director of Harris Tweed Hebrides.
Harris Tweed attributes much of its success to having the protection of intellectual property at its core.
An integral part of the Hebridean economy, sustaining 350 jobs on the islands, Harris Tweed has the protection of heritage dating back to 1909, with the oldest continuously marked trademark in Scotland.
The celebrated material is also produced with a certification mark, another level of protection, plus the Harris Tweed Act 1993, which strictly outlines the conditions in which the cloth can genuinely be made and has limited the impact of counterfeiting.
He said: “At Harris Tweed as well as other world renowned luxury Scottish brands, the luxury is in the process. It’s really important to try to obtain some form of protection on the process as well as the finished goods.”
Authentic cloth and garments are issued with the Harris Tweed Orb Mark after inspection by the Harris Tweed Authority, the industry’s governing body. The Real McCoy is a public event that will address the full spectrum of anti-illicit trade. Hosted by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC), the event, takes place at Glasgow City Chambers on Friday.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here