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Brand infringement at Christmas, snow on lights
Blog Post / Published, November 6, 2024

‘Tis the Season to... Supercharge Your Brand Infringement Strategy

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Don’t let the counterfeiting Grinch ruin your brand’s Christmas! Thanks to advances in online monitoring services and technology, it is becoming more straightforward to fight back against the spike in brand infringement over the festive season, as Questel’s David Godoy explains.  

For most of us, the festive season evokes feelings of community, joy, and hope. Many choose to express gratitude and appreciation for friends and family by gifting something special; for others, it becomes an opportunity to reward themselves for a year of achievements as it comes to a close.

Unsurprisingly, the trade in goods and services sees a significant surge as 25 December approaches. From Black Friday to the January sales, the holiday season offers a major opportunity for companies to increase sales and strengthen brand visibility in the minds of consumers who may otherwise feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices available. However, focusing solely on the commercial upside of the season without considering the risk of brand infringement from third parties attempting to benefit from your brand reputation can quickly turn this festive optimism into stress and frustration.

A Less Than Festive Season for Brand Infringement...

During peak shopping periods, counterfeiters often exploit high consumer demand by falsely impersonating companies and their brands, enticing customers with discounts or promotional campaigns. Many consumers can be easily deceived by new technologies, as increasingly sophisticated tools are used to advertise unauthorized and infringing goods and services with such high-quality presentation that it can be difficult for the naked eye to distinguish between an authentic product and a counterfeit.

Although traditional forms of IP protection (such as trademark registration and use in commerce) remain essential for the effective safeguarding of assets, online infringement threats present a fundamentally different challenge due to their ability to reach global audiences simultaneously. As a result, it is becoming increasingly critical to work with a partner capable not only of rapidly identifying threats, but also of responding proactively and efficiently to eliminate or mitigate the impact on your brands, revenue, and reputation.

Five Reasons to Focus on Online Brand Protection Now

Besides the high consumer spending and the consequential rise in counterfeit goods/services, online brand protection becomes especially critical during the holiday shopping season for several reasons: 

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Customer Loyalty

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Shoppers are more likely to trust and remain loyal to brands that can provide a reliable shopping experience. When customers encounter fake or fraudulent products, it can damage their perception of the brand, reducing loyalty and future sales. 

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Corporate Goodwill

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Brand reputation is crucial during busy shopping periods such as Christmas. One negative experience, such as a customer receiving a counterfeit product or being scammed, can lead to bad reviews and social media backlash. Protecting your brand from infringement online minimizes these risks and helps maintain a positive image during a high sales period. 

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Preventing Domain Squatting and Fake Websites

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Fraudsters may create websites that imitate legitimate brands to trick consumers into buying fake products, especially during the festive season, when consumers may be less vigilant or in a hurry to purchase gifts. Monitoring and taking down such websites or infringing domains can help prevent damage to your brand. 

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Social Media Exploitation

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Many consumers turn to social media for shopping recommendations and deals during the holidays. Unfortunately, counterfeiters and scammers also use these platforms to promote fake products (and ‘dupes’), often through targeted ads or influencer scams. 

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Avoiding Legal and Compliance Risks

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If counterfeit products or brand misuse result in harm, such as dangerous counterfeit goods, your company could face legal risks or compliance issues. Protecting your brand proactively helps prevent such occurrences and shields your business from potential lawsuits or liability. 

Ensuring your brand is protected across all online platforms is essential to prevent brand misuse, safeguard revenue, and protect consumers. Given the increased risks of counterfeits, fraud, and unauthorized brand exploitation during peak periods, a proactive approach to online brand protection is critical. However, with so many tools and service providers available on the market, it can be challenging to determine where to begin.

How to Optimize Your Online Brand Protection Program this Season

Brand infringement at Christmas, gift parcels

The traditional focus of online brand protection services has been to identify brand infringement and execute takedown actions against infringing products or content online—for example, by targeting counterfeit goods, brand abuse, unauthorized domain name registrations, or deceptive lookalike websites. While monitoring services continue to play a critical role, Questel recognizes that brand owners now require a solution that enables them to efficiently manage and process high volumes of infringement cases. Similarly, many organizations are seeking smarter, more integrated, and cost-efficient enforcement solutions that help free up valuable in-house resources. In other words, an end-to-end online brand protection service that combines the expertise of analysts with state-of-the-art technology. 

By automating monitoring, tracking, and enforcement, our combined case management and take-down online brand protection service delivers on all these requirements. The solution reduces the burden on brand owners by detecting online threats based on predefined criteria, triggering pre-agreed automated alerts and enforcement workflows, and tracking all brand protection activities through a centralized case management platform. 

Keep the Grinch away from your brands this holiday season by partnering with Questel. By combining the expertise of highly skilled IP professionals with automated systems, our targeted online brand protection service helps you achieve the best possible outcomes. Instead of worrying about the impact of brand infringement on your brand equity, customers, and bottom line, your only concern this season will be deciding what to prepare for Christmas dinner. 

To find out more about Questel's online brand protection service and technology, contact our Subject Matter Experts to request a demo or trial. 

About the Author
null David Godoy
David Godoy
is a Senior Client Solutions in Trademark, Design & Domain Services at Questel.