Online brand protection specialist comments on the growing risk of fashion counterfeiting

LONDON FASHION WEEK
16 - 20 September 2016
Main Venue: Brewer Street Car Park London W1F 0LA

As London Fashion Week takes place this week, Stuart Fuller, Director of Commercial Operations at NetNames, – a CSC Company – and leading online brand protection specialist, comments on the growing risk of counterfeiting on fashion brands worldwide:
 “As London Fashion Week gets underway, and thousands flock to the city to get first sight of the world’s most coveted designers’ new lines, there will be fraudsters looking to captalise on the designs through the production of counterfeit versions.

“An issue that plagues the fashion world, counterfeit designer clothing and accessories are the most common articles detained at EU borders for infringing intellectual property rights, making up more than a tenth of all seizures and more than half the total value of goods captured. [1]

“As fashion brands look to online and social media channels to debut their new collections to entice new custom, they also increase the risk of fraudsters using the images to infringe on their intellectual property.

“To protect their reputations and revenues, fashion brands must proactively defend their designs online. Businesses should identify the greatest threats to their brand and seek to remove infringements from the Internet. By taking action now, they can continue to grow their brand and innovate online with the confidence that it is protected.”

[1]   EU Commission, 2013: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_controls/counterfeit_piracy/statistics

Photos: Lucia Carpio, LFW Feb. 2016