The Edinburgh based online brand protection and reputation management specialist, SnapDragon Monitoring, is teaming up with Anti Copying in Design (ACID) in a bid to safeguard design businesses from the threats posed by counterfeit products and IP infringements.

According to a recent survey by SnapDragon, nearly one in five of UK small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have fallen victim to counterfeit product sales, leading to severe financial losses for 93% of them. In 2020, counterfeit goods worth £13.6 billion infiltrated Britain, causing legitimate businesses to lose £9 billion in sales.

“Imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery, especially when it has the potential to jeopardise sales, brands, and safety,” said Dids Macdonald OBE, co-founder and CEO of ACID.

“This partnership empowers organisations to act swiftly on IP infringements and eliminate them from the internet, providing a robust resource for small and independent businesses battling the counterfeit threat.”

The partnership aims to combat these challenges by offering guidance and technical monitoring. SnapDragon’s AI platform, Swoop, allows SMEs to scan the internet to identify brand threats, infringements on registered and unregistered IP rights, and counterfeit product listings. 

ACID offers membership to the UK’s IP protection advocate, giving SMEs tools for protection, deterrence, and education. 

“Counterfeits are a huge problem, yet traditional brand protection has always been geared towards bigger businesses, though counterfeits affect companies of all sizes,” said Rachel Jones, CIO and founder of SnapDragon Monitoring.

Recommended reading

• Could Batteries be Our Next Global Shortage?
• Female-led Scots Firm SnapDragon to Expand International Reach
• SnapDragon Shortlisted for Women in IT Excellence Awards

“It doesn’t matter if you are a global enterprise, or a small boutique designer, if you have developed a product, you hold the rights to its ownership, and fraudsters should never get away with banking on your success.

“We are in the business to support these organisations, offering them accessible brand and IP protection to help them keep the products they have worked tirelessly to create safe.