Intellectual Property Protection For Your Business

Piracy, counterfeiting, and infringement are just a few of the many violations that are a constant threat to cultural development, fostering innovation and growth. In March this year, Louis Vuitton, the world’s largest luxury-goods manufacturer, sued Hyundai Motor Company, accusing it of trademark infringement in a Super Bowl ad. In an advertisement titled “Luxury”, Hyundai featured a group of men playing basketball with a dark brown ball covered with a pattern that resembled LV’s trademark initials. A record 106 million people watched the ad, according to the complaint.
Hyundai is not the first, and probably will not be the last, to be in the firing range of the Parisian fashion house. Among others LV has taken to court is pop star Britney Spears, a student artist for the Darfur fundraiser, a Red Cross Charity shop, eBay and even web giant Google. LV’s serious stance towards protecting its brand is an example of protecting intellectual property rights. Its purpose is to protect its exclusivity in a turf of what is a very niche market. Protecting intellectual property rights matters because it guards the value of a brand. Intellectual Property Protection(IPP) is a common thread that runs through the issue of copyrights, patent and trademarks.
The tangible aspects of a brand are not necessarily the most valuable, as brand value is the financial strength of a company and other intangible benefits like trust, values, quality and price. These in turn create the perception, awareness and image of a brand and in turn create value. Brands like LV constantly worry about the assurance of quality and accountability of their name being lost when counterfeiters illegally use their trademark and deceive consumers with their goods. Businesses can obtain legal assistance to ensure that their ideas and product designs are protected from illegal copying.
In Singapore, SCOPE IP, an intellectual property management (IPM) diagnostic tool assists businesses assess the weaknesses of their existing IP management status and improve on it based on the recommendations given by SCOPE IP consultants. The consultancy covers IP (copyright, confidential info, trademark), Intellectual Assets (documented knowledge) and Intellectual Capital (employees’ creativity, skills). Accredited SCOPE IP consultants who are trained in this methodology will conduct an IPM assessment and generate a report identifying areas for improvement with strategic growth options for them based on current and future needs of the company. Call AONIA today at +65 6 733 8839 or e-mail Daniel Chua, our accredited SCOPE IP consultant at Daniel@aonianow.com to know more what we can do to protect your business.