While it is fashionable to assert copyright and patent protection for almost everything, there are other, more old fashioned ways of protecting ideas and designs: keep them secret. Pre-releases of products may be important to marketing purposes, but it also gives pirates a head start. It is widely suspected in Hollywood, for example, that pre-release versions of movies sent out to influence the Oscar process are the source of pirated copies seen on the street even before the premier.
One area where this secrecy is especially important is in designer fashion. Nothing undercuts the value of a design to see knock-offs floating around. A niche of that market -- the wedding dress industry -- seems obsessed with that problem. After all, no blushing bride wants to pay mega-bucks for that special gown just to see it show up at everyone else wedding. (Being male, I can only accept this statement as fact, rather than try to completely understand it. After all, as some one said, what's the problem - it is guaranteed that the bride will be the only one in the room wearing that particular dress). So, wedding dress designers have taken an extra precaution to insure their clients will have at least one fleeting moment of uniqueness. No pictures -- absolutely none -- are allowed during the fitting process.
This came as a surprise (and disappointment) to a young friend of mine who is going through that pre-marriage ritual. She was eager to share the dress design with her bridesmaids. But the thought of having something special overrode any disappointment when the connection between pictures and knock-offs was pointed out.
So, secrecy still matters if you are trying to prevent piracy.
On the other hand if you are looking for collaboration in design, then secrecy can be a problem.
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