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ITF LLC, IP DETECTION,RECOVERY AND SURVEILLANCE DIVISION
Intellectual
Property Protection
What
is Intellectual Property?
According
to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), intellectual property
refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and
symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce.Intellectual property
is divided into two categories: Industrial property, which includes inventions
(patents), trademarks (brand logos), industrial designs, and geographic
indications of source; and Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works
such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as
drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, and architectural designs.
Rights related to copyright include those of performing artists in their
performances, producers of phonograms in their recordings, and those of
broadcasters in their radio and television programs.
Why
is protecting intellectual property important?
Piracy,
counterfeiting and the theft of intellectual property assets pose a serious
threat to all legitimate businesses globally. Businesses and consumers face
legal, health and safety risks from the manufacture and sale of counterfeit
goods.
Where
do counterfeit goods come from and how much is counterfeit?
Counterfeit
goods can enter the supply chain for various markets at all levels, often
flowing across borders in the guise of legitimate trade. According to the U.S.
government, Interpol, World Customs Organization and International Chamber of
Commerce estimate roughly 7-8% of world trade every year is in counterfeit
goods. That is the equivalent of as much as $512 billion in global lost sales.”
What
markets are most impacted by counterfeit products?
Those
sectors of the market most commonly affected by IP theft are manufacturing,
consumer goods, technology, software and biotechnology, including
pharmaceuticals, which represent legitimate safety concerns.
The most frequently
counterfeited automotive products include belts, tensioners, hose, couplers, oil
filers, brakes, spark plugs and filters. Any recognizable brand is at risk –
automotive, leisure, fashion, music, electronics.
What
are the hazards associated with buying counterfeit products?
Failure
of a counterfeit automotive component can present an unacceptable health and
safety risk to society as well a potentially high repair costs for consumers.
Are
there other impacts from counterfeit products?
In addition to the financial impacts, counterfeiting can
also lead to dilution and destruction of brand names and damage to a brand’s
goodwill. Once damaged or lost, goodwill is not easily regained. It can also
lead to costly packaging and product redesign as pirates steal goodwill by
infringing (copying) trademarks, trade dress (packaging) and copyrights
(web-based literature). It can result in legal fees and investigations as well
as expensive warranty claims.
Who
can become a victim of counterfeiters?
Anyone
can become a victim of counterfeiters including consumers, end users, DIY’ers;
any service facility such as OE dealerships, franchise facilities, retail stores
and independent repair facilities (small garages).
What
is ITF doing to improve the situation?
ITF IP
and Detection Division is doing many things to improve the situation including:
Educating our associates that counterfeiting hurts everyone
Educating businesses that counterfeiting affects the bottom line
Encouraging and participating in international initiatives to coordinate laws
and enforcement efforts
Participating in local IP events to raise awareness and provide support to
local governments dealing with the problem
Aggressively enforcing IP rights by individual owners against
infringers
Cooperating with local governments during enforcement activities
Maintaining continuous contact with local governments
Cooperating with industry members during investigations
Publicizing successes to market to infringers so they are aware that they are
being pursued
Continuously improving best practices and technologies.
What
can I do to support IP right protection and reduce counterfeiting?
Use
only genuine materials and if you suspect otherwise call Task Services Inc.
ITF will and can protect
your brand. Call us on +44(0)845 257 9800 or email sales@itfdetectives.com