IN THE HEADLINES
WHAT TO WATCH

IN THE HEADLINES

DECEMBER

COVID Vaccines

All would probably agree, it was an odd holiday season, but with the despair of the pandemic also came the hope with the roll out of vaccinations. But with that, also an opportunity for counterfeiters. Maybe the biggest risk of our lifetime.

JANUARY

No Return Necessary
 

In efforts to avoid the costs of restocking returned inventory, and other related operational issues, two major shopping platforms decided to forgo the requirement for physical return of some goods by dissatisfied customers. What does that mean for products purchased that might be counterfeit and where do they ultimately end up? A new challenge for brands, and consumers, and possibly new scamming ground for counterfeiters.

FEBRUARY

Super Bowl-Still a Draw
 

Yes, they did still hold the annual event, even in a pandemic, even with limited ticket sales, and yes counterfeiters still looked to profit.


WHAT TO WATCH

For these next few months we look at previous stories on seasonal products.

MARCH

It’s Been a Year-How-to’s-on Remote Investigations

March is generally when a good number of lockdowns went into effect due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 — so here we are on that one year anniversary.  One pivot that was necessary for BP practitioners was considering how to conduct all the necessary investigations relating to protecting their brands. The IP PI Blog curated, from an investigative agency, a number of great articles on how investigations have been and can successfully be conducted remotely, reasons to do so and not wait, and tips/best practices. 

APRIL

Don’t be Fooled

A-CAPP’s very own Jay Kennedy, Assistant Director of Research, now a contributing writer in Forbes, penned an article that outlines the criminology of counterfeiting along the backdrop of criminal theories such as the crime triangle, which “is used as a device to help visualize and describe the relationships that exist among key elements (a motivated offender, suitable target, and place lacking capable guardianship) that are necessary for many forms of crime to develop.”  As he so aptly observes,This relationship between counterfeiters, consumers and e-commerce platforms can be summarized as a stable criminal opportunity structure.” Consumers are online more since 2020 and so are the counterfeiters.

MAY

How is BREXIT Going for IP Infringement Enforcement?

This will mark five months since BREXIT officially took effect. How is it going with trademark enforcement? On January 1, 2021, the trademark office was to have created a comparable UK right for every international trademark designating the EU; and existing international trademarks and designs, which applied for via WIPO’s Madrid and Hague Systems, were to continue to be valid in the UK. To ensure cooperation for seizures at the UK border, a new tool to ensure cooperation with the proper authorities was created — Application for Action

THE BRAND PROTECTION PROFESSIONAL |MARCH 2021 | VOLUME 6 NUMBER 1
2021 COPYRIGHT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

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