How to Be a Brand Innovator - International Trademark Association

The Anticounterfeiting Committee-Online Counterfeiting Project Team has completed its 2017 update to the best practices guide, “Addressing the Sale of Counterfeits on the Internet.” The guide updates a 2008 version, which was presented by the Anticounterfeiting Committee and the Enforcement Committee to the Board of Directors and was completed in 2009. The updated guide is published and available here on INTA’s website and provided voluntary best practices for trademark owners and Internet-related companies, aimed at facilitating the protection of trademarks on the Internet.

In 2014, the Online Counterfeiting Project Team began the task of updating the 2008 guide to address the evolution of the Internet and social media. The project team researched current practices of search websites, online marketplaces, payment service providers, trademark owners, social media, logistics, and registrars and registry companies. The purpose of this task was to compile practical ways trademark owners and companies involved in the online marketing realm could work together in addressing the issue of counterfeit goods being sold on the Internet. As a result, the best practices document was updated and expanded based on feedback from leading companies in the industries mentioned. To further ensure representation from different industries, the guide was shared with the Data Protection, Emerging Issues, Enforcement, and Internet Committees for guidance.

The 2017 guide will be officially launched at the 2018 Annual Meeting in Seattle at the Anticounterfeiting Workshop on May 19. The workshop will gather brand owners, government officials, and digital commerce service providers for a full day of collaborative discussions on online counterfeiting. INTA will continue to promote the adoption of the best practices listed in the guide throughout 2018, as well as update the recommendations to adapt to the continuous evolution of the Internet.

For more information on INTA’s anticounterfeiting activities, please contact INTA Anticounterfeiting Manager Maysa Razavi at [email protected] or Anticounterfeiting Senior Coordinator Tiffany Pho at [email protected].

Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of items in the INTA Bulletin, readers are urged to check independently on matters of specific concern or interest.