NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 42, No. 88
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014
NEW YORK ELECTIONS governor 40.6% ROB ASTORINO (R)
HOWIE HAWKINS (G) comptroller
60% THOMAS DINAPOLI (D) 36.6% BOB ANTONALLI (R)
2.7% THERESA PORTELLI (G)
attorney general
55.3% ERIC SCHNEIDERMAN (D) 41.8% JOHN CAHILL (R)
2.2% RAMON JIMENEZ (G)
*statistics as of 1 a.m. on Nov. 5
STAFF GRAPHIC BY LYANNE NATIVIDAD
BEAUTY & STYLE
Fashion, lawsuits unexpected pair By SAM DEL ROWE Staff Writer
The worlds of law and fashion seem disparate. One does not think about the legal workings of the industry while pinching pennies for a Chanel purse. It is in the courts, however, that the direction of the multi-billion dollar industry is determined. The Oct. 24 legal decision on famed designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana piqued interest into the judicial side of the world’s chicest profession. Barbara Kolsun, executive vice president at renowned shoe company Stuart Weitzman and NYU adjunct professor on fashion law, said legal issues related to the industry vary
from case to case. In recent years, there has been the current hotbed case of Christian Louboutin’s long battle over its unmistakable red-bottom shoes and Gucci suing Guess over use of the iconic interlocking ‘G’ logo. With regard to what can and cannot be protected, Kolsun explained the distinction in U.S. law, stating the different forms of law and patent. “In the U.S. we basically have copyright law, trademark law and design patents,” Kolsun said. Kolsun said the design of a garment is unprotectable, and noted that because of the numerous global companies in the industry, protection is dealt with based on where that company is working. She also
MIDTERMS
Cuomo victorious, re-elected as governor By THE NEWS DESK
53.9% ANDREW CUOMO (D) 5%
nyunews.com
mentioned the controversy over whether the fashion industry would benefit from a law protecting design. “My opinion on that is that if we’re going to do it, it’s probably best to have a scheme — like Europe has — to protect designs rather than lobbing it onto the copyright law,” Kolsun said. “That is certainly something that’s been in discussion for a really long time.” NYU Law assisting professor Charles Colman highlighted the most common legal issues in the industry today. “When it comes to fashionspecific issues, we see a lot of uncertainty in the area of intellectual property law,” Colman
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Incumbent New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was re-elected for a second term on Nov. 4 with 54 percent of the vote and 99 percent of the precincts reporting. Cuomo defeated Westchester County executive Rob Astorino, who secured 40.6 percent of the vote. Cuomo, who campaigned on his successes legalizing gay marriage, enacting stronger gun control laws and balancing the state budget, said during his acceptance speech he would tackle several new issues in his second term. “We are just getting started,” Cuomo said. “We’re going to raise the minimum wage for working families. We’re going to pass the Women’s Equality Act because discrimination and inequality against women stops in New York State.” Astorino, who gave his concession speech 10 minutes after the polls closed, implored the governor to consider the arguments he made about term limits during the campaign. “I called for state term lim-
its in my campaign, and I hope Governor Cuomo will keep his pledge to seriously look into that idea,” Astorino said. “We are too good a state. New Yorkers are too hardworking to be embarrassed by their government year after year.” Politics professor Larry Mead said Cuomo’s skill as a manager and his successful legislative record were the key to his victory. “He’s gotten the legislature to do whatever he wants and keeps the budget under control, which shows he’s a good governor,” Mead said. “He’s done some things that are controversial, like shutting down the Moreland Commission, but those matter less to average voters.” Politics professor Patrick Egan agreed and said Cuomo’s performance in the election could set him up for a presidential campaign in the future. “It’s a very strong result for Cuomo, and his results are going to end up being some of the strongest for any incumbent governor in the country,” Egan said. “It positions
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REVIEW
‘Signal Failure’ pleases as triumph of candor By CLIO MCCONNELL Editor-at-Large
Everyone has experienced the jittery rush of making accidental eye contact with a cute stranger on the train, perhaps even breaking the unspoken rule of public transportation and striking up a conversation. Sasha Ellen’s play, “Signal Failure,” explores the potential of missed connections classified ads, introducing viewers to several characters looking for their subway soul mates. Lorna, played by Ellen herself, and Spencer Cowan’s Brian are young professionals, neither of whom is lucky in love. They both become fascinated
by watching other people’s interactions on the London Tube, so much so that they begin to plan their commutes in order to keep track of fellow passengers’ burgeoning romances. In an hour-long show, the two actors manage to share a stage for 30 minutes without interacting. But soon enough, caught up in watching the flirtations of others, they also begin to notice one another. Lorna submits a classified ad to the newspaper, and Brian reads it the next day. They meet up for a very awkward round of drinks, and an even
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