That’s the strange paradox facing India’s fashion industry as generative AI explodes. The Designs Act, 2000, was written for pen-and-paper sketches and factory-made garments; not for AI that spits out 100 outfits in 10 seconds. Here’s the catch: AI-generated designs can’t be registered (no human author + no physical article), yet they might still infringe on existing registered designs; because they’re trained on them. It’s like stealing a recipe, but the law doesn’t even recognize the dish as real. Courts are trying to catch up; the Calcutta High Court recently expanded design protection to include digital interfaces, and DPIIT is drafting changes. But without Parliament stepping in to clarify ownership, creativity thresholds, and penalties, this legal black hole will keep swallowing innovation. One solution? Adopt a “Zarya test”; only designs that involve real human curation, selection, or modification get protection. AI is here. The law just hasn’t caught up yet.