Please view this month's Member Spotlights!

We thank all of the participants for contributing and sharing their expertise with us. Member companies are randomly chosen each month to participate as a way to connect and educate our member community. To view our previous member spotlights, click here. 

Kristen Kozlowski     

New Era Cap, LLC

Brand Protection Manager 

Buffalo, NY, USA

How do you show your company the value of a brand protection program? 

When showing leadership the value of our brand protection program we position the counterfeiter as a competitor because ultimately, the sale of counterfeit product is taking away from the sale of genuine goods. By positioning the counterfeiter as a competitor, you can highlight how brand protection efforts are not just about safeguarding the brand's reputation and integrity but also about preserving profitability as well as protecting your position in the marketplace.

How can companies use customer feedback to enhance its brand protection program?

At the end of Q1 this year our team launched a Counterfeit Reporting Form online. We are fortunate to have a very passionate customer base that is eager to bring issues including reports of counterfeits and/or trademark abuse to our attention. Having extra eyes on these issues through the use of the form has been an extremely valuable addition to our program over the last few months.

Kevin Consolo    

SneakERASERS 

Co-Founder

Charlotte, NC, USA 

What’s one piece of advice you can give a brand looking to enforce their IP? 

If you’re not diligent in enforcing your IP, you’re throwing away money, in more ways than one. The thousands of dollars spent to acquire the IP can only provide an ROI if you act on that investment. Your patents, trademarks and copyrights are only as strong as their record of enforcements and the actions you take.

Secondly, if you allow other brands to sell an item that infringes upon your IP, they can be stealing money from customers that rightfully belongs to you. It’s only up to you to take action to get that money back.

How do you show your company the value of a brand protection program? 

Even if the infringing brand is not selling a high volume, creating consumer confusion only makes the purchasing process more difficult for your customer. It also reduces the special differentiation in the market you worked so hard to create.

I show my company tangible value by breaking down estimated monthly sales that could be ours if the infringer was taken off the market. A lot of DTC platforms publicly disclose estimated sales, such as Amazon and TikTok Shop.

I also show screenshots of google and Amazon searches and how the infringers are directly creating consumer confusion for our customers.

What is the most interesting place you have been to?

In a previous job, I was the director of adult beverage for a trade show company. I worked closely with wine and spirit buyers on their review meetings and traveled with Walgreens on educational trips around the world. One time, we conducted a whiskey review in Dublin, Ireland in an old castle converted to a modern hotel. The most interesting part of that trip was hopping over the border in a train and staying with a distant family member on the hillside farms of Northern Ireland. We drank Bushmills, had Shepherd’s pie and helped to take care of his sheep.

Contact info: kevin@erasers.com 

Maria Farrukh Khan 

United Trademark & Patent Services 

What are the top 2 challenges in IP enforcement you see affecting your industry over the next year? 

The two challenges that go hand in hand are the increasing cost of enforcement and emergence of new technology that facilitates infringement. Enforcement is a difficult task, especially in our region where counterfeiters are getting more sophisticated and using technology such as AI, 3D Printing and Blockchain. Brands need effective strategies utilizing tools, both legal and administrative that are also technologically advanced. While traditional enforcement strategies will always play a role, technology can be helpful in reducing costs and also stretching enforcement budgets to achieve more in the same amount.

What are your top 2 recommendations to a brand that is building up its IP enforcement program? 

Firstly, build transparent, trustworthy relationships with local law enforcement and customs authorities. The knowledge they possess is invaluable, especially in terms of coordination, timing and how to deal with more challenging entities. We regularly carry out trainings with officials, emphasizing on what to look out for in counterfeits. When the authorities are familiar with your brands, they are proactive and diligent in their policing. Secondly send a loud signal to counterfeiters when entering a new market. By conducting raids and being tough initially a lot of the mushroom growth of smaller counterfeiters can be stopped as the infringers become aware that this brand is proactive in enforcement.

What hobbies or causes are you passionate about?

Our firm has a policy where we give free legal advice to start-ups focusing on development, women empowerment and climate change. We deal with a lot of female founders who lack the guidance from traditional power structures. Inclusivity is a big issue for me and guiding these entrepreneurs in spaces where they would be traditionally ignored or exploited, I feel helps society as a whole.

I have a patisserie diploma from Le Corden Bleu and enjoy baking, especially now that my 9-year-old daughter is also interested in it, so we make desserts together for special occasions.

Contact info: maria.khan@unitedtm.com; dubai@unitedtm.com