Registering your IP is just the first step in the process. Thereafter, it is important for you to remain vigilant so you can stamp out infringing activity before it causes damage to your business or allows the infringer to gain a foothold.

Large companies have in-house anti-counterfeit teams, conducting watches everywhere from trade marks databases to the dark web, to identify the sale of counterfeit goods and other infringing trade mark use. Then, Intellectual Property Crimes Units get involved in meticulously planned raids, where large hauls of counterfeit goods are seized and criminal charges are laid. See this BBC article about a 500 million pound haul of counterfeit goods, seized this time last year.

But, for those of us who are running smaller businesses, and do not have the means to employ in-house anti-counterfeit teams, there are still several low cost steps we can take to identify and stop counterfeiters from diverting our profits.

You can:
1) File customs notifications with the Australian or foreign customs offices, to direct the customs officers to seize counterfeit goods at the borders. See more information about this on IP Australia’s website.
2) Set up Google Alerts for your brand name, so you are notified each time your brand is referred to online, and can identify any use that is not your own.
3) Register your brand with the Amazon Brand Registry.

If you want to discuss the above three and other anti-counterfeit measures you can take, call Hayley on 0477 914 319 or email Hayley at hayley@tarrlaw.com.au.

Tarr Law is here to assist with all of your intellectual property needs.