Brand Protection Companies
Brand Protection Solutions & Software | Guide & Tools Needed
Scalable, Intelligent Brand Protection
The Corsearch Brand Protection solution is an online monitoring and enforcement platform named ZERO™. Developed and updated daily by a team of dedicated in-house software specialists, ZERO™ continuously identifies millions of online listings, mentions, images, and other brand-relevant data points. Wherever it is on the Internet, if your brand and trademarks are misused, ZERO™ can find the infringements and the infringers.
Where ZERO™ exceeds the competition is with its ability to create clustered indexes of information which are then linked within the integrated ecosystem to our offline Intelligence unit and our other technologies, including Case Management and Image Tech.
From initial listings to physical enforcement, ZERO™ allows you to monitor and escalate the most dangerous online sellers and to pinpoint identities, quantities, and addresses with real-time reporting.
Advanced APIs and Scraping Technology
Our smart brand protection technology features ‘spiders’, which crawl millions of web pages at high speed to find possible brand infringement. The system has in-built scalability so that search terms and data scanning can be rapidly expanded.
Through machine learning, ZERO™ assigns risk scores to bad actors so that you can pinpoint the highest priorities for enforcement.
Data Clustering
ZERO™ has a full text and image clustering capability that finds key offenders regardless of which online platform they appear on. The cluster functionality searches through vast data sets and connects infringers through phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, and more.
By connecting online marketplaces, social media, websites, and even customer-provided enforcement data such as Customs seizures, ZERO™ delivers invaluable insights into the biggest threats to your brands.
Global Coverage
Our monitoring and enforcement capabilities give you the broadest possible coverage.
If your brand is referenced and your rights are infringed, ZERO™ can locate it. We monitor more than 1000 global eCommerce marketplaces, social media platforms, websites, domains, paid search outcomes, and app stores. These capabilities can also be made bespoke according to your key markets and brand protection project needs.
Our worldwide, multilingual Analysts work directly with local online platforms to get the best enforcement outcomes for you.
Image Technology
Corsearch’s Logo Detection and Image Similarity tools combine cutting edge visual filters with comprehensive data monitoring and analytical intelligence gathering.
Put together, our image and logo recognition tools support efficient online enforcement and the ability to pinpoint the highest-risk infringer networks.
Benefits of Brand Protection
Analytical Reporting
See the value of your brand protection investment through appealing reports that incorporate rigorous data collection, analysis, and ROI.
A Globally Connected Team
Our worldwide network of multilingual Analysts, Investigators, and Data Scientists provide unmatched support for our clients.
Identify Key Offenders
Infringers adapt rapidly to new commercial realities while managing to evade detection. With cutting edge technologies and expert analysis, we can pinpoint infringers and their activities.
The Human Touch
When it comes to spotting the details and recognizing typical behavior patterns, experienced personnel are essential.
Brand and Content Protection Solutions
From trademark clearance and establishment to brand protection and anti-piracy, Corsearch provides a comprehensive program that enables businesses to secure brand value and thrive commercially. Learn more about our cutting-edge solutions below.
Own the Future™
Talk to us today to discover how we can support you to establish and protect your most valuable assets.
How to choose the right Brand Protection solution – Red Points
Never before have brands been under so much pressure to protect themselves. The growing demand in light of COVID-19 has increased an impressive 146% year-over-year growth in all U. S. & Canadian online retail orders. Consumers are rapidly adapting themselves to digitalisation, purchasing most things online. This rise in ecommerce demand has been coupled with the rise of cybercrime. Counterfeiters flood into all kinds of online existence as it’s hard for consumers to tell whether they are buying a fake product or not. This potent combination of a rise in global demand and faster but less accountable distribution platforms has resulted in brand seeing 41% rise in cybercrime during Covid-19.
Summary
The importance of having a brand protection solution for your business6 key metrics to consider when choosing a brand protection service
The importance of having a brand protection solution for your business
To consumers, seeing a brand’s counterfeits on marketplaces are a warning sign. 40% of consumers think the original brands are responsible for taking counterfeit toys off online channels. It’s now a necessity for any company with a strong brand, individual design or original product to protect their business from Intellectual property infringements.
There are a number of services that offer a wide range of protection, from multinational protection services to traditional legal firms or smaller tech based solutions. Whether you are choosing a tech or traditional based solution for your brand there are some key factors to consider before you select your solution.
The right brand protection service will prevent and respond to any cases of unauthorised trademark use and illicit retail, of either genuine or counterfeit products. It therefore protects your brand from loss of revenue, declining sales and crucial damage to brand equity.
6 key metrics to consider when choosing a brand protection service
Scale
You want all of your budget spent wisely and efficiently, so when you realize that your products are being targeted by infringers and you want to find a solution to protect your brand, the best and first thing to do is always to understand the scale of the infringements – Do you have only one counterfeit incident or you are aware of the piracy over a few sites already, and there might be more? Is the brand protection service scalable according to the type and size of incidents that you have? A qualified brand protection solution should be capable of auditing and assessing the current risk your brand is facing and offer a corresponding solution.
Reach
Depending on whether you are looking to resolve a single case or deal with multiple or you are looking for continued protection after the audit, will all affect whether this is a relevant consideration for you. Technology has allowed for an increasing number of platforms and methods of brand infringement – from counterfeit goods sold over social media to search engines leading consumers to fake websites, and counterfeits are even being sold on apps like WhatsApp and Wallapop. Cybersquatting diverts traffic away from your brand’s website, threatening both businesses and consumers whilst surrendering control of trademarks.
If your business is seeking to solve multiple cases of IP infringement and monitor the brand continuously, then the search capacity of the service will be extremely important. Most legal firms do not employ technology based scans, unless stated, and so they rely on manual searches. However, not all tech solutions are created equal, it’s important to know whether your solution (tech or not) will be searching only top ranking marketplaces, such as Amazon and Ebay, or if it will be able to scan over the entire web.
Efficiency
Whilst a long-term solution should be the absolute priority (see our webinar on how to stop repeating IP offenders), speed in removing infringements is crucial in a brand protection solution, to stop the effects of counterfeiting and regain brand control. A reliable brand protection service will advertise their rates of removal, and you should pay attention to the ratio of detections to eliminations and the average time from detection to removal of infringements. You should expect success rates of above 80%, with at maximum a three-day window for successful removal of infringements. Efficiency rates can be increased with automated tech but also through industry relationships which ensure that ISPs and marketplaces prioritise requests for rapid takedowns.
Reporting
Arguably the most important factor, as this is the evidence of the work completed. Most brand protection services offer a reporting system based on an app or visual web dashboard. Software which is simple to work and easy to understand can be a huge time saver and reduce additional training costs. A good system should do more than simply detect infringements – it should be able to report in detail and highlight websites and geographical areas of particular risk. It is important to consider whether you can access IP infringement data instantly through a portal or whether you have to wait for monthly reports. Real time data is clearly the desired form of reporting, as this allows you to see infringements as they are detected.
Auto-learning
Technology is ever evolving, and so are counterfeiters as they attempt to avoid detection. Does the solution you are checking learn from its search results? Innovation is a must in the digital global counterfeit industry, staying up-to-date with keywords which identify future threats to your brand, and using given data to customise the service delivered keeps you winning ahead of cyber criminals. Brands that do anti-counterfeiting right constantly work to adapt and integrate new technologies to remain one step ahead of counterfeiters.
Industry expertise
Some degree of human analysis is a good idea, as no matter how many tasks technology can automate, it can’t (yet) replicate years of industry experience. Expert analysts can direct the technology and predict new trends, whilst an in-house legal team can assist with any extrajudicial actions required, such as those involved in taking down a fake website. Besides, anyone who’s ever gone through the pain of automated customer service will agree that it’s nice to have a knowledgeable human to speak to in a time of need.
Conclusion
Brands that allow counterfeits to go unchallenged are endangering their current brand equity, partners and product reputation. All companies are restricted by time, budget and resources. In finding the right brand protection services you will also have to consider what staff time and resources you can commit to brand protection, and the costs involved in the services of brand protection software.
There are many factors to consider, and all should be tailored to your own risk level. Thorough searching on Google, social media and top e-commerce sites for counterfeits will provide a certain level of insight into your risk, or alternatively take advantage of our demo meeting to analyse your level of counterfeit, which can be used to scale a solution to your specific risk requirements.
Red Points Brand Protection solution can automatically search thousands of targeted websites for keywords related to specified items and pages, where possible employing a keyword life-cycle, so that the process can evolve alongside counterfeiters’ attempts to avoid detection. This should help you to quickly identify the sites which pose the biggest threat to your brand. For more details on the technology of brand protection services and what are the key performance factors to look for, download our product guide.
Brand protection – Wikipedia
Brand protection is the process and set of actions that a right holder undertakes to prevent third parties from using its intellectual property without permission, as this may cause loss of revenue and, usually more importantly, destroys brand equity, reputation and trust. Brand protection seeks primarily to ensure that trademarks, patents, and copyrights are respected, though other intellectual property rights such as industrial design rights or trade dress can be involved. [1] Counterfeiting is the umbrella term to designate infringements to intellectual property, with the exception of the term piracy which is sometimes (colloquially) used to refer to copyright infringement. [2]
A more narrow definition of brand protection which focuses on trademark infringement, is sometimes used. [3][4] Counterfeiting of physical goods that involves trademark infringement is indeed one of the predominant forms of intellectual property infringement. [5] However, both copyright and patent infringement are possible without an associated trademark infringement, and both may result in loss of revenue and of brand equity. Eliminating diversion, gray market, or product theft and resale, are generally considered as well as part of a brand protection strategy, even though an intellectual property may not be necessarily infringed. [6]
Organisational measures[edit]
Registration and management of intellectual property is considered a pre-requisite to launching a brand protection strategy. Effective brand protection measures generally involve implementing prevention processes, monitoring processes, and reaction processes. [7] Internally, the anti-counterfeiting unit will report to top management, develop the brand protection processes, and collaborate closely with the relevant functions for each region and business unit. It will organise training and promote a culture of managing sensitive information carefully with external stakeholders. internally and externally.
For large organisations, an effective brand protection strategy requires collaboration and cooperation between departments, functions, and geographies, as well as with external stakeholders such as customs, law enforcement agencies, governments, industry partners including competitors, retailers and online marketplaces, and suppliers. [8][7] It requires training of personnel and the development of a company culture of managing sensitive information carefully, both internally and externally. It can however be difficult to secure sufficient budget and resources as losses due to intellectual property infringement are difficult to quantify. [9][10] Methods exist to quantify the return on investment of elements of a brand protection strategy such as the use of product authentication systems, yet organisations must first acknowledge the existence and significance of the problem. [11][7]
A cross-industry benchmark was made with the person in charge of anti-counterfeiting of 45 companies with global market presence. [7] The two organisational measures that were judged as most effective are those that help with the integrity of the supply chain, and those that contribute to securing distribution channels.
Technical measures[edit]
Counterfeit detection[edit]
Overt authentication with a security hologram
According to the EUIPO, counterfeiting detection technologies may be classified into five main categories: electronic, marking, chemical and physical, mechanical and technologies for digital media. [12]
ISO standard 12931 provides guidelines and performance criteria to help brand owners define the particular authentication elements for either the packaging or material good itself, based on a counterfeiting risk analysis. [13] Overt security feature, such as a security hologram or optically variable ink, can be verified by an untrained user with human senses (typically by eyesight). Covert security features are verified with an off-the-shelf or purpose-built authentication tool. Both covert and overt security features may also go through the use of specialised equipment by a skilled expert. Overt security features have been criticised for their ineffectiveness, [14] but others argue that they can be “extremely difficult to replicate”. [15]
Covert security features used to be verifiable by very few people, and consumers were unaware of their presence. [16] However, according to the ISO standard 12931, a smartphone is technically equivalent to an off-the-shelf covert authentication tool, yet it is a mass-market device which opens authentication on a large scale. [17] Furthermore, it can support overt security authentication by providing the instructions, after a QR Code scan, to visually verify an overt authentication element. [18]
According to the ISO standard 12931, track and trace solutions alone, e. g. a serialised 2D barcode placed on each product, is not authentication. QR Codes have indeed no protection against exact copy, unless additional techniques are used in combination. [17] A number of techniques exist, such as digital watermarks and secure graphics which are added into QR Codes to make them robust against copy, and an app can be used to authenticate. [19]
Consumer engagement and distribution channels monitoring[edit]
Distributed channels can be monitored, and illicit activity detected, from the analysis of the data generated from the QR Code scans. [20] Consumers can be incentivised to scan QR Codes or NFC tags on products, not necessarily for the primary purpose of verifying authenticity, but to obtain relevant information about the product or to engage in a loyalty program. [21][22] The large quantity of data collected from the scans allows to monitor distribution channels without the need for hiring investigators, and on a much larger scale. Consumers may actually demand the ability to verify that the product is authentic, and this creates an opportunity to engage with the brand. [23]
Online monitoring[edit]
With the growth of e-commerce, brand protection activities need to increasingly take place online. Online brand protection software monitor the Internet and help identify the Web sites that are likely to sell counterfeit, propose grey market goods or misuse the brand and its attributes. [7]
Supply chain integrity[edit]
The implementation of track and trace solutions to capture events as goods move through the legitimate supply chain helps to monitor and detect illicit activities. The control of ordered quantities of products or components from third party suppliers can be made by providing them with secure serialised labels which must be affixed to each item. [24]
References[edit]
^ “Trade Dress Watch: A case for counterfeit trade dress | | Insights | DLA Piper Global Law Firm”. DLA Piper. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
^ “IP enforcement: asserting your rights | European IP Helpdesk”.. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
^ “BRAND PROTECTION | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary”. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
^ Fairley, Michael; Plimmer, Jeremy (2019). Encyclopedia of Brand Protection and Security Printing Technology. Tarsus Exhibitions & Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1910507209.
^ Trade in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods: Mapping the Economic Impact.. Illicit Trade. 2016. doi:10. 1787/9789264252653-en. ISBN 9789264252646. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
^ “PROTECTING BRANDS AGAINSTTHE GRAY MARKET | On Publishing”. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
^ a b c d e Staake, Thorsten. (2010). Countering counterfeit trade: illicit market insights, best-practice strategies, and management toolbox. Springer. ISBN 978-3-642-09562-7. OCLC 1132506670.
^ “Anti-Counterfeiting & Brand Protection”. 2018 Health for Humanity Report. 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
^ “How to combat counterfeiting | World Trademark Review”.. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
^ Office, U. S. Government Accountability (2010-04-12). “Intellectual Property: Observations on Efforts to Quantify the Economic Effects of Counterfeit and Pirated Goods” (GAO-10-423).
^ Hopkins, David M., 1941- (2003). Counterfeiting exposed: protecting your brand and customers. J. Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780471269908. OCLC 1028576783. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ “EUIPO Anti-Counterfeiting Technology Guide”. European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights. 2021-02-26.
^ 14:00-17:00. “ISO 12931:2012”. ISO. Retrieved 2020-05-03. CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ Graham, Marty (2007-02-07). “Fake Holograms a 3-D Crime Wave”. Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
^ “How holograms can stop counterfeiting”. Packaging Digest. 2008-07-31. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
^ Hopkins, David M., 1941- (2003). Kontnik, Lewis T., Turnage, Mark T. Hoboken, N. : J. ISBN 0-471-26990-5. OCLC 51476792. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ a b team, FPFIS (2016-01-07). “Survey of techniques for fight against counterfeit goods and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) infringing”. EU Science Hub – European Commission. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
^ “HP Mobile Authentication: How to detect fake products”. The NewsMakers. 2013-06-18. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
^ “Anti-counterfeiting Solutions”.. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
^ Baldini, Gianmarco. Nai Fovino, Igor. Satta, Riccardo. Tsois, Aris. Checchi, Enrico. (2015). Survey of techniques for the fight against counterfeit goods and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) infringement. Publications Office. ISBN 978-92-79-54544-3. OCLC 948769474. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ “Behind Every Smart Product is Smart Packaging | Future Food Asia”. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
^ “Pernod to roll out smart bottles ‘in coming weeks'”. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
^ “Lock and load: How closures makers are battling counterfeiters”. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
^ Staake, Thorsten. (2008). Fleisch, Elgar. Berlin: Springer. ISBN 978-3-540-76946-0. OCLC 234294078.
External links[edit]
Michigan State University Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection
list of brand protection global organizations
glossary
Frequently Asked Questions about brand protection companies
What is brand protection for a company?
Brand protection is the process and set of actions that a right holder undertakes to prevent third parties from using its intellectual property without permission, as this may cause loss of revenue and, usually more importantly, destroys brand equity, reputation and trust.
What is brand protection solutions?
Brand protection is the process which brand owners must undertake to make it as hard as possible for counterfeiters to use intellectual property without permission.Jun 23, 2021
What is brand protection software?
What is Brand Protection Software? Brand Protection software provides organizations with online brand monitoring, actionable intelligence, and investigation management tools to protect digital assets and intellectual property against brand infringements.
