Quote Originally Posted by kilted2000 View Post
I think he means that the registry is Scottish and it is of all tartan not just Scottish tartan. As opposed to being a registry of specifically Scottish tartans.
Demonstrating that I did not phrase my initial question correctly. My understanding of how the Scottish Registry of Tartans is that it's descriptive both of older tartans and that new tartans can be registered as well, and that WHEN new tartans are registered, the registrant may control the right of woolen (or other fabric) mills to weave it or allow other mills to weave it as well.

The intent of my question was to ask whether when someone designs a tweed could the designer limit the rights of individual mills to weave it, or even whether there WAS anything analogous to the Scottish Registry of Tartans that enables a description of the tweed that mills could use to weave the same tweed, if permitted to do so.

I am aware that there are some arcane rules regarding the naming of CERTAIN tweeds: e.g., "Harris" tweed needing to be woven in a circumscribed region, I think by weavers working in their own homes and selling there to a small list of fabric houses.