Intellectual property rights in trademarks, copyrights, domain names and website content are among a company’s most significant assets and account for key elements of a business’ core operations and consumer brand recognition. Twenty-first century businesses must protect these critical assets by developing comprehensive IP watch and enforcement strategies—and by recognizing the legal risks and financial costs of failing to do so. This article will help businesses take practical, appropriate, and timely steps to protect their legal rights and interests, and avoid common—yet costly—brand and other IP asset protection mistakes.
Challenges to Brand Assets in the Digital Age
With its ease of access, ubiquitous presence and ability to reach wide audiences, the internet presents companies with tremendous opportunities to market their brands and expand their consumer base. Yet those very same characteristics also pose unique challenges related to brand protection. Because of the sheer volume and constantly evolving nature of online marketplaces and content, brand owners now face an expansive landscape of risks to brand assets including loss or weakening of rights due to third party abuse or infringement of a company’s trademarks on social media or other online sources, online piracy of a company’s copyrighted content, and cybersquatting.
