Harris Tweed weaver Donald John Mackay sits behind his Hattersely single-width loom in his shed in the village of Luskentyre IT is the globally recognised brand and believed to be the only cloth on Earth to be both defined and protected by an Act of Parliament. Now Harris Tweed has been held up to a global conference on rural development and well-being as a case study in how manufacturing can be retained in rural areas based on “artisanal skills". And the audience at the event aimed at protecting rural economies has been told of the importance of protecting that brand legally to prevent piracy.