Every well known brand, be it for a product or service, is a target for abuse by counterfeiters, phishing schemes, diverters, and even legitimate sites who
do not maintain the a brand owner’s standards for use of trademarks. Even blog sites should be monitored for both malicious attacks from competitors or negative comments from disgruntled customers.
On-line counterfeiters and trademark abusers are tech savvy operators who know how to use technology and the Internet for their abuses. Your tools
must be able to identify, evaluate, and then help you fight back. There are many vendors and solutions available. Spending a lot of money on a solution may not be your best investment if the solution does not support your budget, objectives, or resources.
Trademark abusers and counterfeiters will be less interested in brands that are protected by brand owners who execute an effective on-line brand protection program. Doing nothing is an invitation to have your brand exploited. Something is better than nothing. Do what is comfortable to you and fits your budget and resources.
Get the greatest “bang for your buck” by targeting those risks that have the potential of doing your brand and business the most harm. There are many rogue websites that may look bad but have little activity that can damage your brand. Many solution providers value quantity over substance. Unfortunately, this may look good but may provide little value to your brand protection effort. Targeted enforcements can provide a dual benefit of enforcement results through controlled costs.
Every company does not have the luxury of a large budget to implement an on-line brand protection program. Even programs with small budgets can be effective with focus and technical tools to support. “Something is better than nothing”