Why an ISO Standard for Brand Protection is Essential
Brands are invaluable assets to their owners, holding both tangible and intangible value. They enhance intellectual property (IP) rights and drive innovation, often translating into substantial monetary gain while simultaneously building consumer trust and confidence. However, in recent years, the rise of counterfeiting has posed significant threats to brands. These illicit activities not only damage the brand’s reputation and financial standing but also pose broader risks to the global economy, critical infrastructure, and consumer safety. Moreover, the counterfeit industry often exploits poor working conditions, child labor, and even fuels human trafficking and criminal organizations. Given these widespread impacts, brand protection has become more critical than ever.
The Importance of ISO/NP 22386: A New Standard for Brand Protection
Brand protection faces numerous challenges, many of which stem from the lack of a universal terminology and standardized practices. Different industries and markets often use varied terms for the same concepts, leading to confusion and inefficiency. The absence of a standardized “brand protection language” hinders communication and collaboration across teams and organizations. Additionally, disparate practices for achieving similar goals can lead to inconsistent results, particularly when teams are structured differently or operate in different markets. A common set of standards would greatly benefit brand protection efforts, aligning practices and improving the efficiency of these activities.
Moreover, in today’s digital era, a unified terminology is crucial for seamless integration across digital platforms used in brand protection. The ability to share experiences, knowledge, and best practices across the industry is also essential for staying ahead of counterfeiters.
For these reasons, the development of a brand protection standard like ISO/NP 22386 is not just beneficial but necessary. This standard aims to provide brand owners with a framework to make their brand protection efforts more efficient, effective, and professional.
What ISO/NP 22386 Covers
ISO/NP 22386 is designed to offer comprehensive guidelines for brand protection activities, fostering a unified terminology and standardizing key processes. Here’s what the standard covers:
- Foundation of Brand Protection: Establishes the importance of IP rights registration as the legal foundation for protecting a brand.
- Setting Goals for Brand Protection: Identifies the challenges in brand protection and outlines methods for measuring the Return on Investment (ROI) in achieving these goals.
- Building a Brand Protection Team: Defines the roles, responsibilities, structure, and focus of an effective brand protection team.
- Brand Protection Strategy Setup: Aligns the brand protection strategy with the company’s overall strategy, ensuring collaboration across various departments. It also offers guidance on defining strategic areas of focus.
- Proactive Actions and Enforcement: Introduces the concept of brand protection enforcement and proactive measures.
- Data Storage & Case Management: Provides guidelines on how to store brand protection-related data and manage cases effectively.
- Security & Data Integrity: Emphasizes the importance of securing information related to brand protection activities.
- Data Analysis & Intelligence: Discusses how data analysis and intelligence can be integrated into brand protection efforts to enhance effectiveness.
Who is Involved?
The development of ISO/NP 22386 is a collaborative effort involving more than 20 countries that have voted in favor of the proposal. Participating countries include France (AFNOR), Germany (DIN), Japan (JISC), Sweden (SIS), the United States, and Canada. The experts contributing to this standard come from a variety of industries, including electronics and high-tech machinery, and represent some of the world’s most recognized brands.
Conclusion
The introduction of ISO/NP 22386 marks a significant step forward in the fight against counterfeiting. By establishing a standardized framework for brand protection, this ISO standard will help brand owners safeguard their assets more effectively and efficiently, while also protecting consumers and the broader economy from the harmful effects of counterfeit goods.
If you are interested in learning more about ISO/NP 22386 or would like to participate in its development, please contact DH Anticounterfeit at info@dhanticounterfeit.com. This is an opportunity to shape the future of global brand protection and ensure that your brand remains resilient against the growing threat of counterfeiting.