Valuable Lessons Learned At The INTA Annual Meeting

Attending the INTA Annual Meeting every year for the past eleven years has provided me with a wealth of information – not to mention contacts that enrich my intellectual property law practice. This year, I had the great opportunity to attend the INTA Annual meeting in London. Once again, I was not disappointed.

INTA provided excellent seminars focused on investigations into offline and online trademark infringement and counterfeit goods. I also met with investigators and experts who specialize in helping companies stop competitors and scam artists from operating fraudulent websites and selling counterfeit goods.

Protecting Your Trademarks – and Your Reputation

Here are a few lessons that every business, large and small, should take to heart in protecting its trademarks and company reputation:

Designate a “Fraud Monitor.” Choose an employee or hire an experienced vendor to monitor online platforms (such as social media, marketplaces, and forums) for identification of suspicious activity. This can include, but is not limited to: fraudulent websites (with similar domain names), sites selling counterfeit products, and posts that are detrimental to your brand.

Identify Digital Footprints. Individuals and entities who market and sell counterfeit products online or set up fraudulent email accounts in your company name tend to leave a trail. These “digital footprints” may include contact information, shipping addresses, and social media profiles. This type of information is vital, because it can assist law enforcement and trademark lawyers in getting websites shut down and/or goods seized.

Regularly Review Chatter. Online discussions and consumer feedback regarding your business can help identify emerging issues that may threaten your company and impact public perception of your brand.

Don’t Be Afraid to Act. Report trademark infringement and counterfeit goods to online platforms. This is usually the quickest and cheapest way to get the pages taken down and protect your brand.

Develop a Relationship with a Good IP Lawyer. They will be able to help you with takedown notices, cease and desist letters, trademark disputes, domain disputes, and in coordinating online investigations with offline investigations.

Of course, these are just a few of the steps that companies need to take to maintain a good reputation and protect their intellectual property. Businesses that do not spend time and money to protect their trademarks and reputation remind me of the Banksy statue in London – they are walking blind, and in this climate, that makes it incredibly hard to survive.