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 new tactics are bad actors using to evade enforcement and what impact does it have on brand protection?
In online counterfeit sales, our area of expertise, it’s widely acknowledged that AI has turned the landscape into a “whack-a-mole” game. But our data tells a more nuanced story. Well-established shops generating significant traffic are not typically AI-built in bulk. These actors use smarter tactics, like subtly changing brand or club names. These shops are findable with the right tools.
To help clients uncover them, we offer a similarity search tool that identifies websites resembling known bad actor shops, making detection and action at scale much easier.
How do counterfeit goods impact consumer trust, and what can companies do to rebuild it?
Quite heavily, I’d say. I’m using football as an example because I’m a big fan, and a collector of football jerseys from different clubs. At Dataprovider.com, we’ve seen a noticeable rise in online stores selling “replicas” that are nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.
You often hear about how the value of authentic jerseys is diminishing, especially as these replica shops make access so easy. The reality is simple: the parties doing the most damage often aren’t that hard to find. The key is focusing on high-impact websites, segmented through the right tools.
If enforcement becomes challenging, being realistic about pricing and strategy is essential, so people won’t go looking for alternatives.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Avoid delaying tasks that take under 10 minutes to complete.
What’s one piece of advice you can give a brand looking to enforce their IP?
Join an organization like IACC. The networking benefits, educational opportunities and assistance from platforms like Amazon has been more beneficial than we could have hoped for since joining.
What 2 things contribute to a successful brand protection program?
For product brands I would suggest ensuring the brand is registered with Trademark Offices and Customs Offices not only in countries where it is sold, but also where it is manufactured as well as transported through.
Ensure you have established an enforcement presence in an online capacity. If you are not conducting brand protection efforts online, you are likely missing an abundance of activity that is impacting your brand. Many providers can supply a sample report to help determine platforms with the most activity and work with brand owners to create a strategy that can evolve.
What hobbies or causes are you passionate about?
I’m very passionate about animal rescue and am intentional about participating in any way possible. Whether it is making financial contributions to rescues, donating useful items to shelters, sharing social media posts to gain exposure for animals in need, or personally conducting transports when I can.
Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer
USA
What’s one piece of advice you can give a brand looking to enforce their IP?
Effective IP enforcement requires scale, intelligence, and global coordination. No single brand can go it alone. That’s the power of ACE: a worldwide coalition of studios, broadcasters, and sports leagues working together to detect, deter, and dismantle piracy operations at their source. My advice? Align yourself with trusted partners who bring investigative muscle, legal expertise, and global reach. The most successful enforcement strategies are not reactive—they’re strategic, data-driven, and backed by collective strength.
What’s the most common misconception about IP enforcement, and how does it impact companies/consumers?
The biggest misconception is that piracy is a victimless crime. That’s simply not true. It harms consumers and jeopardizes jobs worldwide. A new study in the Asia-Pacific region found consumers using piracy services are up to 65 times more likely to be infected by malware than those who don’t. And when content is stolen, the livelihoods of those behind the scenes—makeup artists, set builders, screenwriters, editors, and others—are at risk. These professionals are essential to creating the movies and shows we love. Piracy doesn’t just affect companies; it threatens the global creative economy.
What’s the most common misconception about IP enforcement, and how does it impact companies/consumers?
We have found in our international practice that good intelligence and liaison with law enforcement are our top two priorities that provide the foundation for a successful IP practice. Identifying choke points for the illicit trade, monitoring movements through those choke points to identify suspicious cargo is the core to stopping systemic global illicit trade. Once suspect cargo is identified, then our relationship with law enforcement really comes into play. In order to cut through the corruption, ignorance and lack of enthusiasm of law enforcement, these relationships need to be personal, genuine and have a high level of trust.
What new tactics are bad actors using to evade enforcement and what impact does it have on brand protection?
Criminal organizations are leveraging modern commerce complexity to distribute counterfeit goods more effectively. Fragmented global supply chains, transshipment through free trade zones, and small parcel shipments to bypass enforcement efforts are some tactics. They also exploit digital platforms, particularly online marketplaces, social media, and messaging apps, to sell counterfeit goods directly to consumers, often under the radar. These evolving tactics make it significantly harder to trace, intercept, and dismantle illicit networks. The impact on brand protection is substantial: financial loss, reputational harm, increased enforcement costs, and eroded consumer trust across multiple markets and channels.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
The best advice I have received as a young special agent with US Customs was: a good agent only needs two things to be successful, strong intelligence from informants, and solid relationships with other law enforcement agencies. When you have those two components, you can navigate the most complex cases.
What’s the most common misconception about IP enforcement, and how does it impact companies/consumers?
It is commonly believed that IP enforcement is ineffectual because of a perception that it never ends, but in the U.S. we have powerful tools to enforce against counterfeiting in the Lanham Act, Patent Act, Copyright Act, state unfair competition laws, at the border through USCBP, and through working cooperatively with law enforcement. It is crucial to stay abreast of current developments and technology (hello AI!) and while working within this framework and utilizing all avenues, companies can have very effective IP enforcement.
How has online shopping through social media platforms impacted efforts to protect IP, and what strategies are companies adopting to address these challenges?
Social media platforms impact IP protection not only in combatting counterfeits, but in how a brand is perceived and how it develops consumer goodwill. Sometimes working with the platforms, and building a proactive and strong brand presence on the platforms can be a terrific first line of offense for brands trying to curb pirates and dupes.
What’s your favorite famous or inspirational quote?
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take (W. Gretzky).
