The truthful answer is we can’t, with Countries like China, Turkey, India, Vietnam etc…..mass producing good quality fakes and exporting them all over the world, we can never stop them, but we can target the importers and major wholesalers in the supply chain. Counterfeits, just like anti-counterfeit technology, are constantly evolving and improving in quality, creating a moving target for enforcement, so the only way to curtail this crime is by proactive investigations.
There is so much money to be made in the sale of counterfeits in the UK, it is organised crime, these criminals know which brands are popular, they produce fake products that look similar to the genuine brand. Many also use the brand logo or copy everything about the product to make it look authentic and in recent years the quality has got really good. There are many products advertised online for less money or even the same price that are counterfeit. The counterfeit products are not the same quality and do not last as long. Although the practice is especially common with designer brands, it can even happen with other products that people do not suspect. Companies in any market can be a target for brand counterfeiting today with so many ecommerce sites in existence. So a Brand Protection Policy is essential.
Brand protection is the process of safeguarding a company's intellectual property (IP) and brand image from those who may try to profit from it illegally. This includes protecting a company's trademarks, domain names, design marks, trade dress, copyrights and patents both online and in the marketplace.
Brand protection is important because it helps to:
- Protect a company's image: Brand protection helps to protect a company's reputation and overall value.
- Prevent revenue loss: Brand protection helps to prevent a company from losing revenue.
- Prevent brand abuse: Brand protection helps to prevent brand abuse.
- Protect against counterfeiting: Brand protection helps to protect against counterfeiters, copyright pirates, and other infringers.
Is your brand worth protecting? Yes, protecting your brand is important for the success of your business.
Is brand protection affordable? Yes, brand protection solutions can secure revenue growth, increase profits, foster customer trust, and ensure consumer safety and in the long run is cost effective.
Surelock’s Brand Protection Team are part of one of oldest established Investigative and Security Consultancy companies in UK, consistently carrying out investigations and achieving some of the largest seizures of our clients’ counterfeits, also policing the internet worldwide for infringements - https://www.surelock.org/services/brand-protection
Clients
We are retained by some of the world’s most popular brands and are often in the news because of our successes, we have been doing this work for over 25 years, so we really do know what we are talking about. We have an excellent success rate for our clients who have remained with us for many years, often being approached by some of the most counterfeited brands and have managed to get this under control.
Brand Protection Strategy
From day one, when clients approach us with a counterfeit problem, we help them develop a brand protection strategy: -
- Ensure the brand is adequately registered as a trademark with the Intellectual Property Office.
- Register an Application for Action with UK Border Force, this helps stop the counterfeits entering the UK, being stopped at the ports of entry.
- Design a brand protection brochure, showing the difference between the genuine and counterfeit products, for use by law enforcement to help them tell the difference.
We would then proactively start to investigate, our market surveillance team will work in the marketplace identifying where the fake products are being sold, covertly recording their findings and make test purchases to authenticate as counterfeits. We then use covert methods to identify the criminals behind these operations and where they are storing their stock. It is then we can report these cases to the authorities providing them with the best possible evidence that will allow them to investigate and obtain a search warrant from the court for enforcement action.
In addition the dedication of our online brand protection team is second to none, and we have built up an excellent relationship with various platforms worldwide, this usually results in listings being taken down and off sale immediately. The benefit of using Surelock for online brand protection is the support we provide where our investigations show there is evidence that physical infringement is also taking place. Our teams are then able to respond quickly, working with legal professionals and the authorities to enforce your IP rights and take necessary legal actions against those who infringe those rights, ensuring that your brand is fully protected
During recent years, we have been directly responsible for some of the biggest seizures of counterfeit designer wear, high end watches and perfumes ever seen in UK, working with the authorities to take these sometimes-dangerous products off the streets and assisting in the prosecution of major criminal gangs. Our evidence has been praised by the authorities and if required we would give evidence in court to help secure a conviction.
These results only come about by being proactive, because of the dedication and a great deal of hard work by our brand protection team, we don’t just sit in our office waiting for the authorities to call us.
We have an excellent working relationship with all the authorities, City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), Police, Trading Standards and UK Border Force.
Lawyers or Investigators?
Well there is very much a need for both, investigators like Surelock work proactively, gathering evidence of infringements and identifying the people committing these crimes, then pass this evidence to the lawyers who meticulously put a case together for Civil Court actions.
We work closely with the Law Firms representing our clients in Civil Court matters, such as –
Providing them with the necessary evidence, with examples of counterfeit goods which are used as evidence in High Court actions for trademark and copyright infringement against the party responsible for the sale and supply of the goods.
Criminal Cases
One of our cases recently resulted in the infringer being sentenced to 43 months imprisonment and a £500,000 + Proceeds of Crime Order, another very recent case with the seizure of over £500,000 worth of counterfeit designer wear and arrest of the offenders. Another case resulted in a warehouse showroom and factory being raided and counterfeit 3D images of music artists and cartoon characters being seized, it took a whole day to empty them and filled two 40-foot containers.
Surelock were directly responsible for one of the largest seizures ever of designer goods and watches - https://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/news/city-of-london/news/2022/october/police-seize-200-million-worth-of-counterfeit-designer-goods-in-west-london-raid We are often praised by our clients but this one really gave our team a buzz - "Thanks to our amazing team of investigators Surelock Investigators and Security Consultants led by Ron Harrison and their continued efforts to protect our brands."
Head of Brand Protection
LVMH
Such results only come about by being proactive, developing intelligence, using our experienced undercover experts and surveillance teams, sometimes taking months to put together.
We have worked for some brands who have had the most serious counterfeit problems and managed to get this under control with the help of the authorities.
We are fortunate to have a very dedicated team of professionals, drawn from Police, Trading Standards, HM Customs, Military and the Private Sector, backed up by experienced undercover and surveillance operatives, that’s why we can offer a service second to none.
Helping the consumers - tips for avoiding fake goods
Shoppers can protect themselves by asking these questions, to ensure the goods are genuine:
Is the product a known brand?
Is it normally sold here?
Is the price too cheap or too good to be true?
Does the packaging look poor quality or not quite right?
Most well-known brands will have recognisable logos and packaging, and be sold within established settings, be it a shop or website. If in doubt, check out prices and sellers details.
The Anti-Counterfeiting Group
Our membership of The Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG) is so important to us, sharing intelligence when possible, carrying out professional covert market inspections and reporting this to colleagues in The National Market Group in order that joint operations can take place, liaising with the Intellectual Property Office
Training
We also represent some of our brands providing training to law enforcement and UK Border Force Officers and presentations at ACG Expos held throughout the Country every quarter.
So, if you are serious and looking for help with your brand protection, look no more, we will assist you to design an affordable anti-counterfeit strategy, police the internet and marketplace to keep your brand safe and assist the authorities on your behalf.
Contact us
If you need help building a brand protection strategy for your business or with proactive investigations to help stop counterfeits, then please do not hesitate to get in touch, we are always happy to talk and advise.
