Despite all the good the internet has done both brands and consumers, its has modernised counterfeiting, hugely growing the global black market of fake goods. It’s never been easier to organise a counterfeiting operation, nor to find a huge market of potential customers willing to buy knock-off goods than it is in the 21st century. For brands, this can mean big trouble.
Time and time again, companies all over the world are being crippled by counterfeiters targeting their brand online and being forced out of business. Where brand protection used to be the stalking ground of lawyers and law enforcement, the growth of ecommerce has moved the problem online. This change means a new set of technical skills are required to protect brands.
To help in the fight against online counterfeiting, Red Points, the online brand protection service, has released Red Points Academy, the first comprehensive online course in brand protection. The aim is to give brand owners an understanding of the most common risks brands encounter in the online world, and a way to stay protected against them.
What’s in the course?
Academy takes students from the fundamentals of brand protection, including topics such as IP rights and the types of infringements, to give participants who are new to the world of IP protection a preliminary foundation on the topic.
The classes then move into applicable information, like creating strategies to combat both offline and online counterfeiting, benefits and approaches to online IP monitoring and working with brand protection KPIs.
The course is rounded off with a look to the future of IP and of the brand protection industry, and applies the knowledge learned throughout Academy and applies it to a business case.
Who is Red Points academy for?
A wide of range of people would find this course immensely useful, including legal professional currently working with intellectual property (IP), who are looking to expand their knowledge, or professionals new to IP law, who could use a foothold in this industry. Even people without any legal background would find use for this education, especially brand owners who themselves have important IP to protect, like trademarks and patents.
How are the classes taught?
Academy is primarily taught through a set of videos, and is supplemented with additional resources, such as presentations. Short quizzes are to be taken periodically to help retain the information, and upon passing a final exam at the end of the course, successful students are presented with a personalised certification demonstrating their completion of the course.
What’s available?
The Academy classes are being released one by one, with the first four already available, and another eight currently in the works for future release. Currently, the episodes available are:
- What is Brand Protection?
- Brand Abuse & IP Rights
- Type of Infringements
- Common Online Channels
For everyone interested, the first Academy class can be watched now without having to register an account.