Anti-counterfeiting: my first 100 days

Mix an estimated 2 Trillion USD business with terrorism, IP owners and sales. Shake it for 100 days and you have a flavour of 'my world' today. A crazy, interesting and challenging time where 1,000s of people are combatting counterfeits.

After more than 20 years in the software industry, it was time to move on. I wanted to continue in sales and marketing, but with more social relevancy. As 'a surprise', out of the blue, Countercheck found me and I started to learn about the world of counterfeits. I was quickly intrigued by the fascinating aspects and the interesting people in this niche industry.

One of the fascinating aspects in this sector is the world behind counterfeits. You and I, we all know that you can buy fake versions of chargers, hand bags or running shoes. But that this industry is about 2 trillion USD, is absolutely mind blowing. The supply chain of counterfeits is massive and professionally organised, including engineers, designers, marketeers and purchasers. A lot of these organisations are founded to finance terrorism... Criminal organisations are making millions and millions profit at a very low risk. It is less risky to make money in the trade of counterfeits than in drugs. That is one of the reasons this industry is growing rapidly. There are more reasons and I'll elaborate on that in the next article.

A second learning is the massive impact of counterfeits. There are two tiers or layers here. The impact on most of the brands is obvious: reputation damage, revenue loss and risk for their customer base. The second tier is the social and environmental impact. To manufacture counterfeits cheap labor and cheap materials are needed, which is directly related to slavery and the environment. Another relation, and mentioned earlier, is the finance of terrorism.

The industry I'm working in now is a white board battle zone. On one site we find the counterfeit manufacturers and sellers, on the other site the right owners and their armies. Armies that comprise IP lawyers, Brand Protection Managers, Law Enforcement officers, associations and service providers. Like Countercheck, my company today.

A last observation to share. I speak to a lot of Brand Protection managers. Most of them have to work with small budgets, compared to the revenue of the organisation and the damage counterfeits are causing. And it seems hard to get a raise on the budget. In my personal opinion the added value of the Brand Protection department is undervalued. It is eminent for BP Departments to provide a clear calculation on the added value they deliver to the company, in order to gain the budgets needed. I see room for improvement, as it seems to be difficult to quantify and qualify the added value that is delivered. I'm personally committed to help organisations in general and especially the Brand Protection Departments to build a value assessment that provides clarity to the board and will help to get the budgets needed.

I was looking for another job, with more social relevancy. After 100 days I can safely conclude I found it. I look forward to more years to come in this ridiculous interesting industry. In the next article I will look into the growing concerns around online sales and the related shipments. Follow me to be notified.