A number of major watch brands have been sending
cease-and-desist notices to websites and individuals claiming that the design
of downloadable watch faces could be in breach of copyright law.

The watch Companies claim that some online app operators are
offering smartwatch faces without permission. Some smartwatches — particularly
ones based on Android Wear — offer the ability to load custom face designs. It
now emerges that some operators have been ripping off existing watches
triggering copyright and trademark complaints.

The brands issuing notices are said to include IWC, Panerai,
Omega, Fossil, Armani, Michael Kors, Tissot, Certina, Swatch, Flik Flak, and
Mondaine. One face download site, FaceRepo, notes that it has taken to keyword
filtering to block infringing content before it can even be uploaded.

Next year’s Apple Watch will likely only face this problem
indirectly at best, through faces hacked into the firmware — if it’s even
technically feasible. The stock firmware will have just 11 general designs,
albeit customizable in terms of colours and smaller design elements.