This study investigates how fashion intellectual property (IP) discourse has been represented and disseminated through podcasts as a medium of cultural communication. Specifically, it analyzes 40 episodes of the podcast Fashionably IP, produced by the European IP law firm HGF between 2022 and August 2025. Using a combined methodology of Leximancer-based text mining and qualitative content analysis, it identifies three key thematic axes in the discourse: trademark protection, legal applicability of design and copyright, and cultural and legal significance of brand identity. First, trademarks are closely linked to brand identity and are repeatedly highlighted through cases involving counterfeits and registration disputes. Second, design rights are influenced by the hybrid nature of fashion design, which combines utility and artistic expression. Third, the branding concept is interpreted beyond its legal function, serving as a narrative resource that reinforces the ethical legitimacy of creators’ rights within consumer culture. The study elucidates the diffusion of legal awareness through cultural communication, demonstrating how legal discourse extends beyond institutional frameworks to social empathy and ethical reflection. Ultimately, it provides a new framework for interpreting fashion copyright and design rights in the digital era, emphasizing how cultural communication channels such as podcasts can democratize legal knowledge and raise public awareness of creators’ rights.

Abstract
I. Introduction
Ⅱ. Review of Literature
    1. Intellectual property in the fashion industry
    2. Podcast as fashion media
Ⅲ. Research Method
    1. Research subjects
    2. Data collection and selection
    3. Analysis process
Ⅳ. Result and Discussion
    1. Trademark
    2. The multifaceted legal implications of design
    3. Cultural and legal contexts of the brand concept
    4. Comprehensive discussion
V. Conclusion
References

• Dawool Jung(Lecturer, Dept. of Fashion Design and Merchandising, College of Social Science, Gachon University, Korea) | 정다울 (가천대학교 패션산업학과 강사)
• Sunhyung Cho(Lecturer, Dept. of Clothing and Textiles, College of Human Ecology, Pusan National University, Korea) | 조선형 (부산대학교 의류학과 강사) Corresponding author