Protect Your Brand And Your Customers

The misuse of brand names is one of the scourges of the Web and Internet have the ability to tarnish your image of the brand and you for a number of clients, in good faith, thought they had a legitimate businesses. The understanding and protection against the growing threat is a solution.

With the Internet age, the challenges are greater than ever, and the online are now an opinion of the companies on their websites. But a beautiful site, functional, effective and reassuring presence on the Internet is no longer sufficient. Companies need to protect themselves, in order not to risk losing control of their brand to the criminal activities.


Due to the protection of your brand, you protect your customers. Because the online crimes can have serious consequences. The potential customers in search of a brand redirected a competitor, or, worse still, a website for unlawful. And this loss of control line can tarnish the value of a brand.


Phishing (phishing)

For those who find the term phishing is the definition of Wikipedia:
"Phishing", which in English phishing, is used by the fraudster to provide personal information with the aim of the commission of an identity theft. The technique is to believe that the victim to a trusted third party - banking, administration, etc.. -- In order him to personal information: password, credit card number, date of birth, etc.. It is a form of attack on the social engineering. That can phishing e-mails, fake websites or other electronic means. "

Phishing is a threat particularly efficient and can absorb the integrity of the brand. Well, that such attacks are not directly targeting your company or its online resources, a crime through connection is often sufficient for the company at risk. In fact, if the consumer was the victim of a fraud by a phishing scam, the name of your brand, it has the right to ask you. It is therefore important to protect your brand name.


The other procedures,

Unfortunately, phishing is a criminal method among others. Companies need to be aware (and are prepared to deal with this), that there are many other opportunities for diversion of online brand. From the typosquatting cybersquatting, on the domaining, all these forms of computer crime, can seriously impact on the image of the company, and are difficult to ensure without situation constantly.
Cybersquatting

"Cybersquatting, English cybersquatting, the practice is the saving of names or trademarks on the Internet, then return them to sell or to use the right mouse button or impair his vision." (Wikipedia)
Typosquatting

"The typosquatting, is a form of cybersquatting essentially the typos of users of the Web: More specifically involves all areas to buy their spelling is in the vicinity of the known, an area that users who have an unwanted Fehlbuchstabierung , pointed to the website of the typosquatteur. "(Wikipedia)
Domaining

"The domaining is an activity, the speculation about the domain name. Unlike cybersquatters, domainers search, which only rarely to abuse awareness of the brands in their favour. Domain names, which they primarily affect the generic domain names are words everyday language. "(Wikipedia)
The corporatesquatting

Another form, and that I deeply despised, is the corporatesquatting, almost always more common. Wikipedia is a lot more to learn that I did not do:

"This is the practice corporatesquatting massively large companies to store names and trademarks on the Internet, to acquire the exclusive use, even though they are already in use and are used by individuals or small businesses.
It is then forced to the rights holders to leave, in the use of the various methods of pressure, the allocation aggressively in the courts (which are often not entitled to have the means to finance). The goal is to make the exclusive use of the name or brand. The Law on Trademarks, namely the protection of trademarks, with "above" which aims to use a name, without the right to have. The first, which is a mark on the Internet provides the owner of the road leading into the space (ie the site), if there is room reserved, but who has the real property to the name has, in any event in the eyes of the judiciary, real name of the property.
In cases where there are no reserved space, the applicant must prove that he has purchased the same name made with the intent to harm the owner of the mark. If this is not the case, argued the complainant in the rule if he wants his complaint that the non-use of the trademark would affect. You can also return some complications, in the big companies know that manipulate their legal claims to the property a name.


Some solutions to your brand and your customers

Because the risk of damage caused by spoofing brand is so important that companies have a strategy to protect their online presence and their customers. Here are some milestones.
Eclairez your customers

Include definitions or a FAQ about the abuse of the brand accessible from the home page of your site. Be explicit stand, or if you are not with your customers via e-mail, and how can they better between the legal nature of an e-mail fraud.
Surround

If your company has much to do to put yourself of experts to protect the brand. Third team with specialists in this field is not profitable, that against the risk of abuse.
DRP (disaster recovery plan)

Every company should have a plan to implement the measures in the event of damage, as it is, the misuse of the mark, an accident. This emergency plan can efficiently manage the damage case in order of priority and resources.
A plan for unintentional violations

All attacks against the mark was not intentional. Sometimes, partners or distributors, known for your services can accidentally tear up the brand or the terms. "Work with your experts in the protection of the trademark to monitor the behaviour and replying to a consistent and professional.
A team of urgency

A team from among the members of your staff, operational, as soon as the brand impaired. They also make the employees of call centers, to better cope with the threats associated with the misuse of the mark.


In Conclusion

While the economy, the Internet opens up significant opportunities for the companies that have not before 10 or 20 years, it also opens up new ways of danger for the brands. Protect its trademark in 2008, is no longer a luxury, it is an economic necessity, especially when the brand has been established for over half a century, since his name is deeply anchored in the minds of consumers, as well as in the the Cyber criminals.