Trademark Challenges & Solutions For Businesses In The Digital Space
In the post-pandemic world, businesses are increasingly relying upon the digital space to market their valued brands. E-commerce firms, gaming companies, Edtech, and Fintech startups in the UAE look perfectly molded for the era of digital transformation. However, the owners of such companies seem to be lackadaisical when it comes to protecting brands through trademark registration in the UAE.
The gap needs to be addressed to prepare a feasible ground for enhancing IP protection for businesses in the digital space. The challenges are laid bare and likely solutions are sought out in this detailed blog. However, you must consult with the best trademark agents in Dubai to turn the insights into actions. If you are a digital entrepreneur, read ahead.
Unregistered Trademarks & Trademark Squatting
The laxity shown by the business owners in getting their trademarks registered is a primary challenge. This challenge is largely seen among SMEs and startups as priority is given all the other marketing aspects except branding. Not registering your trademarks becomes will hit your business hard, if you are selling products through the international online market.
E-commerce businesses that sell goods through international jurisdictions are at greater risk here. For instance, a UAE brand trying to enter China may find similar or identical trademarks registered in that country. Also, China is infamous for trademark squatters who register well-known trademarks in bad faith. Efficient trademark search services the best solutions for the menace of trademark squatting.
Infringement from Multiple Online Platforms
Once you have performed a trademark search in the UAE or any other jurisdiction, you must proceed to focus on online brand protection. Brand protection is no longer a homogenous process as businesses now rely on the powerful, global reach promised by external digital marketing channels such as search engine marketing, affiliate marketing, remarketing, social media, and online marketplaces. This means the risk of trademark infringement has risen manifold as the threat can now originate from multiple platforms.
Brand owners now need to manage their trademark protection on these channels properly to benefit fully from the investment that they have put into developing and growing the brand. The internet is like a vast sea which makes it hard for brand owners to curtail trademark infringement, especially in the e-commerce marketplace. What you can do instead is availing efficient trademark watch services. Trademark agents in Dubai can monitor the market, including the internet, to see if anyone is profiting from the reputation of your brand.
The Menace of Online Counterfeiting
Counterfeiting is one of the biggest threats faced by brand owners across the world. The emergence of e-commerce and the subsequent globalization of counterfeiting is a major hurdle for creating a strong anti-counterfeiting strategy for brand owners. Counterfeiting jeopardizes the profits and reputation of corporations, along with the health and safety, and loyalty of consumers. Counterfeit goods only benefit the entities that conduct IP crimes.
Fortunately, the UAE has a multi-fold strategy to track and nab counterfeiters. After effectively monitoring for counterfeiters online, you can proceed with either of the following anti-counterfeit measures in the UAE,
- Administrative Action through Economic Departments of relevant emirates
- Protection through Customs Authorities
- Civil action through the court
- Criminal prosecution through the Police
For each of these measures, you need to follow official procedures set out by the relevant authorities. Also, a specific set of official fees is applicable for customs protection and administrative action. Trademark agents in Dubai can help you in meeting the specific requirements which will enable you to successfully stop the counterfeiters.
Adopt a Multi-channel Brand Protection Strategy
As of 2021, the threats to IP emanate from a wide range of sources, including counterfeit-selling domains, P2P file-sharing platforms, social media channels, and encrypted networks. The threat from social media has become more menacing as it is estimated that between 2004 and 2018 social media users grew from zero to more than five billion. Social media is now one of the major channels used by the IP infringers to reach the consumers, brand owners can no longer afford to neglect it.
It’s high time for brand owners to adopt a multi-channel brand protection approach that encompasses the online space in a holistic way. Such an approach will help them accurately assess the threats from marketplaces, social media, paid advertising, app stores, etc. While it may appear tough for brands to protect themselves proactively on all platforms, or in every geographical region, it is vital for them to see where the biggest threats exist. The services of the best trademark agents in Dubai are crucial in effectively policing the online marketplaces.
How Can Jitendra Intellectual Property Help?
The global adoption of the Internet for commerce has helped businesses to prosper and it also enabled smooth trade in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though digital transformation helped in the development of legitimate companies, it also boosted trademark and copyright infringement, counterfeiting, piracy, and other related threats to brand protection. In this situation, brands are advised to devise a Multi-channel brand protection strategy and enforce it with the help of trademark agents in Dubai such as Jitendra Intellectual Property (JIP).
JIP provides the most reliable trademark registration services in the UAE apart from helping the brand owners in enforcing anti-counterfeiting measures. JIP conducts efficient trademark watch services in the UAE to ensure that the clients get timely alerts when a third party infringes the registered trademarks. JIP is committed to protecting the reputation and value of the brands by providing robust trademark services in the UAE as well as other GCC countries.