The Silent Threat: Illegitimate Competitors and Counterfeits
In an increasingly digital and decentralized market, brand protection has evolved from a legal option to a critical business strategy. Today, any actor can clone your logo, copy your product, or leverage your brand recognition to sell on marketplaces, social networks, or even physical stores. The result? Loss of sales, consumer confusion, and erosion of your reputation.
1. Immediate Control of Sales Channels: The First Line of Defense
Many business leaders discover too late that their products are being counterfeited or sold by unauthorized third parties.
Why is this so serious?
- It steals real sales from you
- Devalues your brand
- Generates negative reviews for products you didn’t manufacture
- Decreases trust in official distributors.
The key is to act quickly:
A protected brand can request immediate takedowns on marketplaces, block campaigns on social networks, and timely curb the economic impact.
💡 Real Example: Amazon removed over 15 million counterfeit products in 2024 thanks to brands with updated registrations and proven active use.
2. Mitigation of International Legal Crises: Play the Long Game (and Win)
Is your brand registered in all the countries where you operate or plan to expand?
It’s not enough to have a local presence.
International courts will only side with you if you can demonstrate:
- Valid registration in that country
- Real and active use of the brand
- Visible protection strategy (renewals, monitoring, prior actions).
Failing to do so in time can cost you the name of your brand in key markets.
⚠️ Recent Case: Frisby, a Colombian brand, faced litigation for losing its right to the name in Spain for not demonstrating use in the EU.
What You Can Do Today:
- Audit your presence on marketplaces and social networks.
- Verify if your brand is registered and active in all strategic countries.
- Implement automated monitoring technology to detect impersonations or misuse.
- Work with an expert partner in brand protection that combines legality, market intelligence, and technology.
In Summary
Brand protection is not an expense; it’s an investment in continuity, trust, and sustainable growth. In the short term, it protects you from counterfeit competitors. In the long term, it defends your international expansion and allows you to compete with an advantage.
📞 Ready to Protect What You’ve Built?
