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.
What are the top 2 challenges in IP enforcement you see affecting your industry over the next year?
The top challenges in IP enforcement for the coming year include combating AI-driven scams and the proliferation of sophisticated counterfeit operations. Scams increasingly leverage social media platforms and employ advanced techniques like social engineering and deceptive paid ads.
What is one way a brand with a mature IP enforcement program can take their efforts to the next level?
To elevate a mature IP enforcement program, consider expanding beyond traditional avenues like online marketplace. With scams and impersonations proliferating, its recommended to address more threats like phishing, fake social media accounts, counterfeit websites, and deceptive paid ads on social media and search engines. Be proactive and holistic in your approach—cover domains, monitor social media extensively, and delve into the dark web. This comprehensive strategy ensures you're safeguarding your brand against evolving risks beyond mainstream platforms.
What hobbies or causes are you passionate about?
I have always been passionate about making the world a better place in different activities I took part of over the years. At BrandShield I exercise that passion every day, as our mission is doing good by stopping scammers, cyber criminals and counterfeiters from harming people.
What are the top 2 challenges in IP enforcement you see affecting your industry over the next year?
Establish priorities for budget allocation. It is easy to exhaust the entire budget on whack-a-mole solutions involving numerous ineffective small raids and taking down online ads targeting only final retailers. Instead, it is crucial to connect these initiatives with a strategic approach aimed at identifying and addressing the sources of counterfeit products to disrupt their supply chains.
Enhancements in customs control: Given the erratic nature of customs surveillance, it is crucial to implement a training program to promote proactive surveillance. Additionally, we should collaborate with authorities to gather all possible information about the companies involved with counterfeit goods.
Can you provide your top 2 best practices for protecting IP?
Develop an intelligence system to gather and connect valuable information from all available sources and ongoing actions, including online enforcement software and raid operations/seizures. This system should map the supply chain of counterfeiters, as the most effective strategy to reduce the availability of fake products is to target suppliers, importers and manufacturers, thereby disrupting the entire supply structure.
Avoid the whac-a-mole approach and implement a result-driven strategy focusing on significant seizures targeting key players in the counterfeit supply chain. This will effectively reduce the availability of counterfeit products in the market and generate insightful reports that calculate the ROI.
What’s your favorite famous or inspirational quote?
"Justice delayed is not justice, but qualified and manifest injustice" (Rui Barbosa, Brazilian jurist and diplomat, 1849-1923). From an attorney’s perspective, this quote emphasizes the necessity of aligning legal solutions with the business interests of rights holders by addressing issues promptly and effectively.
What are your top 2 recommendations to a brand that is building up its IP enforcement program?
My suggestion is to look everywhere. We have found counterfeit products at major retailers, independent stores, non-traditional outlets (flea markets / street vendors), in returned goods including recalled items, via consumer complaints, and in e-commerce / online sales.
Also, take time to share data and promote awareness throughout your organization. Counterfeit products can be difficult to distinguish from authentic. There may be cases where an authentic product is in a counterfeit package, or a counterfeit product is in an authentic package. Be sure your consumer affairs team is educated on the possible variations and your procedures collect all available information. Recover complaint samples from consumers and expand your investigation to the point of sale.
How do you show your clients the value of brand protection?
Clients and their products are all unique and I approach my relationship with each client as such. I recommend an ongoing, long-term program to build a solid database of offenders, then dig deeper to investigate their distribution channels and identify where else they may be operating. A statistically significant sampling plan provides quantifiable results to monitor progress, identify areas where resources should be applied, and measure results over time.
What’s your favorite famous or inspirational quote?
“People don't do what you expect, but what you inspect.” - Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. For years since I heard this quote, I have shared it with my team and reminded them that we are first and foremost a Quality Assurance service provider. Our clients rely on us to be thorough, accurate and responsive. Take the time to do things right, validate information by all available means, be confident in the results we provide, and proud of the work we do!
What is one way a brand with a mature IP enforcement program can take their efforts to the next level?
Evaluate your current IP enforcement strategies and identify areas for expansion. For example, if you've primarily focused on traditional monitoring and legal actions, consider integrating additional security measures such as advanced secure QR codes and tamper-evident packaging. Assess the effectiveness of your existing methods and explore opportunities for innovation, such as enhanced tracking systems or expanded partnerships with technology providers. By continuously reviewing and expanding your capabilities, you can strengthen your IP enforcement and adapt to evolving challenges in the market.
How do you show your clients the value of brand protection?
I generally emphasize using real-world data to demonstrate the financial impact of brand protection. This includes metrics such as revenue saved from preventing counterfeits and the positive effects on brand reputation and customer trust. Many brands and firms view the costs of brand protection vendors as a burden, rather than recognizing them as revenue-generating tools. A well-implemented program should more than pay for itself annually.
Additionally, ROI can be measured in various ways, reflecting the diverse values within different organizations. Highlighting real-world successes and quantifiable benefits makes the value of brand protection both tangible and compelling.
What’s your favorite famous or inspirational quote?
"Trust arrives on foot but leaves on horseback.” — This proverb highlights how trust is built slowly and steadily through consistent actions, but can be lost quickly due to a single breach or lapse. It serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining integrity and reliability over time.
International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition, 727 15th Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, District of Columbia 20005, United States
