Anti Copying in Design (ACID), the UK’s leading design and intellectual property (IP) advocacy organisation, and SnapDragon Monitoring, a renowned online brand protection and reputation management specialist, have forged a strategic partnership aimed at safeguarding design businesses from the perils of counterfeits and IP infringements.
In today's landscape, counterfeiting poses a significant threat to all industries, as counterfeiters continually exploit genuine brand success to produce low-quality imitations of coveted products. These counterfeit goods not only erode brand revenues and compromise IP, but also endanger consumers due to the use of toxic materials. A recent SnapDragon survey discovered that nearly 20% of UK SMEs have fallen victim to counterfeit product sales, resulting in severe financial losses for 93% of them. Moreover, an astounding £13.6 billion worth of fake goods infiltrated Britain in 2020, causing legitimate businesses to lose sales totalling £9 billion.
The collaboration between ACID and SnapDragon aims to combat these issues by offering guidance, advice, and technical monitoring to protect assets. Leveraging SnapDragon's innovative AI platform, Swoop, SMEs can continually scour the web to detect brand threats, infringements on registered and unregistered IPRs, and counterfeit product listings. They can then take swift action to remove these threats before they damage sales, brand reputation, or customer safety.
ACID complements this effort by offering membership to the UK's premier IP protection advocate. ACID, celebrating its 25th anniversary, is widely recognised for its strong advocacy for IP protection, offering creators and the design community tools for protection, deterrence, and education.
"Imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery, especially when it has the potential to jeopardise sales, brands, and safety," says Dids Macdonald OBE, Co-Founder and CEO of ACID. She emphasises that this partnership empowers organisations to act swiftly on IP infringements and eliminate them from the internet, providing a robust resource for small and independent businesses battling the counterfeit threat.
To mark the partnership's launch, SnapDragon and ACID are hosting a live event on 9th November at 12.30. All are welcome – register here to watch Dids and Rachel discussing their backgrounds and collaborative efforts to protect designers and creators.
