Brand Protection Research Articles

Development and deployment of brand protection strategies for China

Counterfeiting has become an enormous global challenge for brand owners. Companies recognize that solely legal protection measures are not sufficient to handle this problem. A comprehensive protection concept seems to be necessary to secure their future performance especially in the fast growing Asian markets. Based on experiences of Western brand owners in China, this article provides guidance for companies to develop and implement appropriate strategies to fight against Chinese counterfeiters.

Dip Pen Nanolithography: A Desktop Nanofabrication Approach Using High-Throughput Flexible Nanopatterning

Abstract Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN) is a scanning probe lithography technique where an atomic force microscope tip is used to transfer molecules to a surface via a solvent meniscus. This technique allows surface patterning on scales of under 100 nanometres. DPN is the nanotechnology analog of the dip pen (also called the quill pen), where the tip of an atomic force microscope cantilever acts as a “pen,” which is coated with a chemical compound or mixture acting as an “ink,” and put in contact with a substrate, the “paper.” DPN enables direct deposition of nanoscale materials onto a substrate in a flexible manner. The vehicle for deposition can include pyramidal scanning probe microscope tips, hollow tips, and even tips on thermally actuated cantilevers. Recent advances have demonstrated massively parallel patterning using two-dimensional arrays of 55,000 tips, depicted below. Applications of this technology currently range through chemistry, materials science, and the life sciences, and include such work as ultra high density biological nanoarrays, additive photomask repair, and brand protection for pharmaceuticals.

A Study on the Strategy of Cultivating China’s Self-Owned Brands

Self-owned brand reflects the national innovation. It is the essence of national culture and the hope of China economy. At present, the construction of self-owned brand in China faces a lot of problems, such as the small quantity of brands, the weak brand consciousness, the lack of brand-protection consciousness, the short life cycle of brand, the less added value, and the poor competence. In order to cultivate China’s self-owned brands, we should improve the brand loyalty, create brand association, execute brand innovation, enhance brand protection, and stress on the effect of government.

The trademark protection of country brands: insights from New Zealand

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the opportunities for and challenges of the trademark protection of country brands.Design/methodology/approachInsights into the challenges and possibilities of country brand trademark protection are identified using New Zealand as a case study. This evaluation is divided into four sections. In the first section, the relations and differences between brands and trademarks are discussed in the context of the country trademark. Then, possible sources of country trademarks are identified. Next, the benefits and challenges of creating and managing country trademarks are discussed based on the case of the New Zealand Fern Mark. The final section addresses the determiners of country trademark implementation and offers recommendations for country brand managers.FindingsThis study makes the case that a nation's heritage is a rich source of country trademarks. The selection of country trademarks must ensure that the chosen symbol conveys meaning and associations that serve a country's often broad range of offerings and resonate with a diversity of stakeholder audiences.Practical implicationsGovernance structures need to be established to manage a country trademark to ensure the country brand's integrity. This includes a licensing system and protocols to prevent successive governments from altering the brand's essence which would destroy its equity built up over time.Originality/valueThis paper extends the concept of trademarks, once the domain of products and service brands, to the emerging field of place brand management.

Compensation claims. DuPont fights for patent and brand protection

Compensation claims. DuPont fights for patent and brand protection

First Black, Now Gray: The Increasingly Difficult Task of International Brand Protection

With the trend towards international outsourcing, and the increased technological sophistication of less developed countries, especially China, international marketers have seen a huge increase in black and gray market activity. This case addresses the increasingly difficulty job of protecting brand ownership against black and gray market activity.

Protecting the Global Brand in the European Union

ABSTRACT Firms desiring to participate in a Global Marketing Strategy (GMS) must be aware of the parameters for intellectual property protection worldwide. Gaining protection for the firm's trademarks–the legal embodiment of its brands– is vital to the implementation of branding strategies at local, national, regional, and global levels. In this paper, we employ a framework derived from Zou and Cavusgil (2002) as the lens through which to examine the strategic impact of the two primary trademark systems that have been developed in the European Union. Finally, the authors examine the impact that modified registration requirements will have on brand protection practices and market expansion opportunities for companies wishing to do business within the European Community. Directions for future research are discussed.

Spectral Pre-Compensation and Security Print Deterrent Authentication

Security printing and imaging is the application of printing to provide product authentication and brand protection through the use of difficult to reproduce (overt) effects and the addition of data (overt, steganographic, covert and forensic) to the printed elements. The density of data added to security deterrents can be improved through the process of pre-compensation. Structural pre-compensation involves altering the size and shape of a printing element so that after reading (printing and scanning) the element better matches its intended size and shape. In this paper, we address spectral pre-compensation, in which the colors of the color tile, a 3D bar code, are changed before the printing and scanning take place. We show the increased security deterrent density possible using this approach using inkjet and dry electrophotographic printing technologies. We also show that the technology is generally applicable except in cases where there is a printing quality issue. Thus, spectral pre-compensation is shown to be generally applicable for testing print quality and increasing security deterrent density simultaneously.

The Olympic brand, ambush marketing and clutter

A qualitative research methodology of 10 in-depth interviews with worldwide Olympic The Olympic Program (TOP) sponsors and senior executives of the Olympic marketing programmes, this research provides a unique investigation into one of the sport world's most powerful brand. Specifically, this research examines ambush marketing and advertising clutter from a corporate point of view. Results suggest that these issues remain a threat to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its corporate partners. Some essential elements that the IOC must address include: (a) brand management; (b) brand protection; (c) protection of sponsors' rights; (d) consumer education; (e) fully integrated marketing communications programme and (f) National Organising Committees (NOCs)' education in marketing and brand management. Corporate partners must activate their sponsorship rights and work, in close collaboration with the IOC and NOCs, to truly understand the Olympic brand and integrate it into their own marketing communications programme aimed at consumers.

Optical Watermarking for Printed Document Authentication

This article describes a novel visual information concealment technique, referred to as optical watermarking, for the authentication of original printed documents. An optical watermark is a two-dimensional binary image. It can be of any shape and can be printed on any part of a document. The optical watermark is constructed by the superposition of multiple two-dimensional binary images (referred to as layers), each with different carrier structural patterns embedding various hidden information. The hidden information is embedded into each layer using phase modulation. Based on properties of the human visual system and modulation principle, the hidden information becomes visible to the human eyes only when a right "key" is positioned on top of the optical watermark with the right alignment. Here, "keys" play the similar role as keys in encryption, that is, to decode hidden information. Thus, with such a "lock and key" approach, it greatly improves the security level of the optical watermark. In addition, the multiple layer structure of the optical watermark makes it extremely robust against reverse engineering attacks. Due to its high security and tight link with electronic document systems, which requires documents to be finally printed on paper, the optical watermark has been applied to various electronic document systems. These are online ticketing, online bill of lading, and remote signing and printing of documents, where critical and unique information are embedded in watermarks and printed together with individual documents for future authentication. It has also been used in offline and traditional antiforgery applications, such as brand protection, preprinted high-value tickets, and identification documents

Comparison in vitro felodipine release rate from the original versus generic product with controlled release of the drug

After patent protection of original brand is over, there are a lot of generic products occurring on the pharmaceutical market. It may be the way to reduce the price, but on the other hand, one should expect the same quality and almost identity with original brand, because the development of generic drugs is based on pharmacological properties of the original brand. The aim of this study was to compare the similarity of two products with controlled release of felodipine--generic product Presid and original brand Plendil--which are commercially available in Czech Republic, based on in vitro dissolution testing. The dissolution test in three dissolution media of increasing pH (1.2, 4.5, and 6.5) for the simulation of physiological pH within the gastrointestinal tract confirmed controlled release of felodipine from the original product Plendil ER 5 mg and Plendil ER 10 mg during the period of 24 hours. The release of felodipine from generic products Presid 5 mg and Presid 10 mg was not controlled for 24 hours as it is indicated in the information leaflet. In the generic products, felodipine release was controlled just for 12 or 18 hours and in this respect did not show similarity with the original brand. Since patients take the drug just once a day in the morning, the controlled release of felodipine, which lasts only 12 to 18 hours, can cause insufficient blood pressure control especially in the most critical morning hours and higher cardiovascular risk.

Facing up to food scares [food processing industry - legislation

The need to ensure the safety of the domestic and global food supply has resulted in a rise in both government regulation and brand protection demands from customers. New regulations have come into force that make 'one-up, one-back' traceability mandatory in the UK for all food and drink manufacturers - making automated traceability systems a virtual necessity. The 'one-up, one-back' process involves being able to identify food ingredients at different stages. Traceability is becoming an essential element of modern manufacturing methodologies, and the optimum solution is to make full use of the four cornerstones: individual part identification, direct part marking, code verification, and a searchable database. An integral part of the new food and drink legislation is speed of response - four hours mandated for response time. So, for many food processors, their current challenge is to identify an automated approach to traceability that is both cost-effective and a good fit for their current business operations.

Currents: Book review—Is that an Hermès bag? Perspectives on brand development and protection

Currents: Book review—Is that an Hermès bag? Perspectives on brand development and protection

Integration of molecular and quantitative information in sheep and goat industry breeding programmes

Molecular information is finding increasing use in sheep and goat breeding programs, as systems become available to make use of this information and the cost of obtaining the information declines. Genetic markers have been used for parentage verification or determination, for product tracing or brand protection, and for assisting selection decisions for production or breeding stock. The predominant uses of markers in selection have been in selecting for scrapie resistance, high prolificacy and for increased size of higher value muscles. Most of these applications of selection have placed preferential emphasis on the favourable gene variant, and quantitative information is used to select within genotype. The sophisticated use of molecular and quantitative information on an industry-wide scale will require robust systems that can cope with imperfect data as well as development of selection indices to take full advantage of the information. The prospect for further increases in the use of molecular information looks bright.

PRINCIPLES OF LABELLING OF AUTOCHTONOUS CHEESES WITH GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN

Bearing in mind the increase of human population, development of new technologies and intensive care of human health, new challenges for scientists appeared. In the fields of fermented food based on various milks modern trends are going to production of so called functional food, which has health promoting activity besides nutritional value. Autochthonous cheeses manufacturing within the Balkan area has very long tradition. These cheeses are produced without using any known starter culture. Therefore, studying all aspects of such cheeses manufacturing is very important. This approach will assure continuation of traditional way of cheeses manufacturing at the original places where they are originally produced. Moreover, research of this kind will open possibility for introduction of autochthonous cheeses production at either semi-industrial or industrial level or their presentation on different markets. The laws on patenting, brand protection or geographical origin declaration are giving the possibilities for protection of autochthonous cheeses. It is not unrealistic to expect that such products will accept on European and other markets. Therefore, the strategy is established to develop the technological process for autochthonous cheese production in the region of mountain Zlatar. The developed technology will be based on the use of starter cultures, which will be constructed of specific lactic acid bacteria (LAB). LAB will be isolated from specific localities on Zlatar, characterized at the molecular genetics level and used for construction of starter cultures.

The global legal landscape in business-to-business brand management

The vast majority of legal issues reported in the media involve consumer advertising and promotion rather than business-to-business (B2B) marketing. But while it is therefore not surprising to see fewer brand protection issues surface in B2B marketing, many of the issues having an impact on consumer marketing apply equally within the minefields of B2B marketing. This paper will discuss some of the more problematic challenges and suggest ways to minimise the associated risks.

Legal pitfalls in protecting advertising slogans in the European Union

Although the harmonisation of EU trade mark law has made it easier to obtain legal protection for brands which are largely descriptive, or at least allusive, brand owners still face particular difficulties when seeking to protect advertising slogans via trade mark registration. These difficulties relate to, first, the fact that many slogans are descriptive, secondly, the way in which they are perceived by consumers, and thirdly, the way in which they are used in practice.

Editorial: New developments in the law and what these mean for your brand protection strategy

Editorial: New developments in the law and what these mean for your brand protection strategy

Relating Security Printing to Emerging Digital Printing Solutions

Today all documents that carry intrinsic value contain one or more security design features. Applications of security printing range from banknotes, passports and ID documents, to checks, lottery tickets and gift vouchers. Dramatic growth in product counterfeiting has also lead to more attention to the packaging of fraud -sensitive goods. It is clear that these markets have different demands, yet they share a common goal: to make life difficult for the counterfeiter through design complexity and authenticity verification features.Today, we also notice an ever-increasing interest from the security printing industry in the developing technologies for digital printing. This interest includes both opportunity as well as risk-assessment. An overview of existing and emerging technologies will be placed in comparison with the current practices for the production of security documents and brand protection. The various parameters (ink, substrate, and design) of digital printing and their relationship to the specific needs and concerns of the security printing industry will be discussed.

The implications of intellectual property law for the auditing and protection of national and international brands: Part III. Brands in Europe

As the third part of an article, this explores and reviews current trans‐national protection for brands in Europe. How have the recent European trade mark reforms impacted on the whole area? Looks at a pan‐European strategy which benefits the large players. Linguistic and cultural differences still affect the behaviour of the European consumer. Future applicants of a CTM need to understand these implications in order to follow a cost‐effective and practical means to safeguard their brands.