Risks

Common sense indicates a company’s products and goods must be safeguarded from theft, whether it is theft from the factory, transportation or warehouse.  It may be just as important to protect the company’s intellectual property rights and brand ownership from theft as well.  Counterfeiting and piracy directly affect the company’s bottom line by negatively impacting:

• Revenue streams
• Job security
  
• Trademark or copyright investments
• Integrity of the brand
• Customer loyalty due to unwarranted dissatisfaction with the brand
• Customer and consumers, which may lead to potential civil litigation
• Investigations by governmental agencies that may have oversight for the product being manufactured and marketed

Opportunities

The benefits of instituting an effective IPR protection program are many:

• Protection of revenue
• Protection of the image and  reputation of the brand
• Increased collaboration with business partners
• Government-provided protection relative to patents and copyrights from the U.S. Patent Office and U.S. Copyright Office
• Potential interdiction  of smuggled counterfeit product by U.S. Customs and  Border Protection
• Direct assistance from other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies involved in  investigations relating to trafficking of counterfeit goods
• Assistance from private investigators/contractors
• Assistance from outside counsel