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.
I oversee GBC’s trademark practice, which includes trademark clearance, procurement, and enforcement. At the center of our trademark enforcement practice is a highly successful litigation program against offshore ecommerce stores selling products to the United States under counterfeit trademarks. We have a talented litigation team that now includes 20 full-time attorneys and professional staff. This includes my fellow shareholder Justin Gaudio and attorneys Allyson Martin and Jake Christensen.
What are your top 2-3 best moments of 2021?
My top moments of 2021 were serving as President of the Richard Linn American Inn of Court and introducing our new Honorable Arlander Keys Scholarship. Judge Keys led an inspiring life journey from picking cotton in rural Mississippi to serving in Vietnam to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The Keys Scholarship is part of our commitment to fostering the development of intellectual property lawyers from diverse backgrounds. Applicants enrolled in a JD program at an ABA-accredited HBCU are eligible. The recipient receives $10,000 for law school, a mentorship package, and a recommendation for membership at an Inn chapter anywhere in the country.
What makes your company unique?
GBC has been the top filer of U.S. trademark counterfeiting lawsuits for the past 5 years with over 1,400 cases filed for over 50 brands. We leverage proprietary technology with manual 24/7 searching to achieve large-scale enforcement through court ordered asset restraints against offshore ecommerce stores. Our efforts have been exceptionally successful at reducing and deterring online counterfeiting and include recovery of tens of millions of dollars from China-based ecommerce stores for brand owners.
What's the most rewarding part of your job / what is the thing that you've been most proud of in your anti-counterfeiting work?
While I know our clients appreciate the monetary recoveries, the end goal of our litigation program is to reduce or stop online counterfeiting. It is rewarding when we receive feedback from our clients that we are accomplishing that goal and making an impact in their online counterfeiting problem. There are times when we are so successful at stamping out counterfeiting that we put ourselves out of a job!
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Think of yourself as a lifelong learner. I began my career as a patent attorney, handling patent prosecution and litigation, including work on an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in a highly contested medical device patent infringement case. Later, I became the intellectual property advisor on a deal team that handled a lot of mergers and acquisitions. Over the course of many deals, my interests shifted towards trademark law and branding which is the focus of my practice today. Currently, I am enjoying learning about NFTs and how brands can both monetize and protect their interests in the metaverse.
I manage multiple clients, budgets, projects, and the people working on the projects. My team is responsible for analyzing counterfeit products, preparing documentation for litigation, recognizing suspicious behavior & patterns, and identifying the bad actors. Much of my role involves background coordination to ensure people have the necessary resources to perform the many different processes involved in this work.
What are your top 2-3 best moments of 2021?
1. In August, my team successfully onboarded a new client and a brand new scope of work within a week. We are a small team, and the collaboration and cohesiveness of my coworkers regularly impresses me. It’s a privilege to work with such talented people.
2. In the spring, I was elected president of the PTO at my daughter’s school. Navigating events and fundraising through COVID restrictions has been a unique challenge but I love getting to connect with parents, faculty, and staff.
What makes your company unique?
We’re excited to take on new projects that add knowledge and experiences to our wheelhouse. Just because something doesn't necessarily fit nice and tidy into our current services doesn’t mean we dismiss a request – we put our heads together to figure out a solution and find a way to make it work. As a result, we're regularly developing new skills and knowledge, which always keeps the work interesting.
How do you show your clients the value of brand protection?
A brand's value is diluted if their products are being abused and counterfeited. Consumers can get hurt or sick from counterfeit products, and if that happens, they may view the brand in a bad light. Companies must work to protect themselves against brand abuse; our work stops or minimizes the threats, making it harder for fraudsters to succeed, which keeps companies; brands and their customers safe.
How did you get into brand protection?
I started working at IP Services about seven years ago as a Forensic Analyst. Since then, we have onboarded several more clients and ramped up multiple different processes to provide customized brand protection solutions for our clients. As bad actors find new ways to exploit innocent consumers, we are constantly adapting and learning new skills to stay ahead of them.
Sales Director Central Northern Europe & North America
Göttingen, Germany
What is your role in your company/organization?
Since 2017 I have been in charge of Sales and Account Management at SCRIBOS for the region of Central & Northern Europe. In this role I am heading our local sales team, consult our clients in regards to our product and service portfolio and contribute to the implementation of our brand protection and product security solutions in more than 20 different industry segments such as e.g. Automotive, Agrochemical, Consumer Electronics, Wine & Spirits and many more.
What makes your company unique?
SCRIBOS is known for its cutting edge security markings. Our unique and proprietary inscription technology enables us to produce serialized holographic security features (lithograms), which are incredibly difficult to reproduce. There were no successful copy attempts in more than 20 years. Furthermore the authentication of your products is as easy as it can be – no apps or complicated technology is needed, which makes it the perfect choice for verification by end-consumers. In addition, our web-based data analysis and monitoring services allow our clients to monitor their products worldwide and locate counterfeits immediately.
A novelty in our portfolio are printable, encrypted micro-patterns which can also be printed directly on product packaging by using our clients existing printing infrastructure, which makes it extremely easy to implement and cost efficient.
What are your top 2 recommendations to an SME that is building up its IP enforcement program?
With regards to a product authentication program:
1. Keep it simple! Often times brands want too much at once - authentication, customer engagement, track & trace, gray market protection, etc.. Connecting all the dots and manage meeting the requirements of different stakeholders could become too challenging and slow down your project. Starting simple and expanding gradually will go a long way here.
2. Involve the end consumer! Your clients want to be sure that they have a legit product. They represent an army of investigators at your disposal, enabling brands to check much more products than just few expert-investigators could. Don´t miss to make use of this asset.
3. Leverage your data! Putting a secure marking on your product is one important step. It is not a “fire and forget”-solution though. Counterfeiters will most likely try to copy the security markings. The good news is, that we will take notice very easily and gather a ton of data which will help you to localize and take down counterfeiters. Make sure that available data is being used to support your investigations and raid organization.
What hobbies or causes are you passionate about?
I have many hobbies to keep me busy. Love to play snooker once or twice a week and enjoy outdoor-activities like hiking and biking on weekends. Being a passionate snowboarder I am always yearning for turning and spent as much time as possible in the Alps chasing powder and laying trenches.
My role is to proactively implement Trademark Protection strategies for The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. by driving policies and standards that protect company assets and brand equity. I work closely with organizations like the IACC, the IPR Center and other Law Enforcement agencies to educate industry partners and consumers.
What are your top 2-3 best moments of 2021?
I joined The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. in 2009 as a temporary employee. In 2021, I earned the position of Director of Trademark Protection. Being a member of the industry leading, Global Security and Trademark Protection Team, has elevated my strategic thinking and encouraged personal innovation.
In 2021, I worked on a global anti-counterfeiting initiative with colleagues in product development and supply chain to implement a new technology that identifies counterfeit products in the market and found the cross-function collaboration to be so rewarding. The resources that The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. invests in this program is commendable and demonstrates the focus and commitment to protecting consumers safety.
What's the most rewarding part of your job / what is the thing that you've been most proud of in your anti-counterfeiting work?
The most rewarding parts of my anti-counterfeiting work is driving awareness and educating others on the dangers of counterfeit products and protecting consumer safety. Through the continuous learning process, I enjoy staying on top of market trends, new technologies and partnering with IACC. I am also so proud that my commitment to train law enforcement officers has enhanced our global anti-counterfeiting program.
How can we or our companies better educate consumers about the harms of counterfeiting and piracy?
Transparency. I would urge companies and brands to commit to driving awareness and educating consumers on the dangers of counterfeit products in a way that is clear and transparent, for example, sharing positions and content on consumer facing websites. Another idea to drive awareness is to work with relevant media outlets to reach younger consumers who may be unaware of the dangers of counterfeit products. Something as simple as asking consumers to confirm purchasing aspects such as Packaging, Point of Sale and Price, as these can occasionally be indicators of questionable goods. We typically tell consumers that if the packaging seems off, the purchase location is out of the ordinary, or if the price is too good to be true, it most likely is.
Can you tell us something about yourself outside of your job?
Five years ago, I was looking for a personal shakeup. I was inspired with new opportunities at work, but personally I was seeking a new challenge. In 2017, I participated in my first triathlon; training was rigorous and time consuming, but I was dedicated to succeeding. My commitment through injuries and setbacks has formed a foundation on how to approach challenges in both my personal and professional life.
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