The intense increase on prices of commodities across the region should be a concern to trademark owners. Counterfeiters might take advantage and imitate the protected brands in order to make the goods available to consumers at subsidized prices, yet the most valuable assets of a business are its brand name and reputation.
This act of counterfeiting is detrimental to the brand owner’s interest given that such owners have invested a lot to establish a reputable brand and its trademark to increase its demand in the market.
A manufacturer has an obligation to ensure that commodities introduced in the market comply with the relevant Kenyan standards as required by the Kenya Bureau of Standards. The manufacturer also has a duty to comply with certain statutory duties such as paying revenue to the government. Unfortunately, the introduction of fake products into the market, disrupts the free flow of protected brands and places intellectual property owners at a great disadvantage.
The aim of IP Investigation is to counter illicit IP trade practices by investigating the source of counterfeits, identify the supply chain as well as establishing the main perpetrators. The owner of a trademark has remedies, both of civil or criminal nature, against the perpetrators under the various IP laws and the Anti – Counterfeit Act, 2008. Such strong actions, through investigation and enforcement, would enhance the brand value of the organization.
At Riskhouse International, we have a robust Intellectual Property Crime and Infringement Investigation team who are ready to provide you with Investigation services, tailored to your expectations. We conduct anti-counterfeit investigations, online trademark watch, brand reputation analysis, sample test purchase, brand market monitoring and survey, brand competition analysis and trademark infringement investigation. In addition, we aim to provide excellent comprehensive written investigation reports with detailed recommendations to help you strengthen your brand reputation and prevent violation of Intellectual Property Rights in commerce.