Day and night, intellectual property (IP) protection companies scour the earth searching for and dismantling counterfeiting operations on land and by sea.
While counterfeit goods may be a slap in the face to unknowing consumers, a company has much more to lose. This is big business, and trillions of dollars — and lives — are at stake. Intellectual property protection attorneys, brand owners and private investigators have faced counterfeiters for centuries. Traditionally, criminals manufactured fakes, or stole branded products, reselling them as if they were authentic goods. They profited from stealing brand trust built at great expense and effort over time. Now, counterfeiting exceeds $1 trillion annually, producing global networks of savvy criminals, stealing and faking in epic proportions.
Published February 01, 2013
