The System of Anti-Counterfeiting (ACF)

In the battle against Chinese infringers of intellectual property rights, successful companies act strategically and operationally - long before counterfeiters copy their products and brands or steal their technology. The system: implement and execute a consistent, proactive strategy of anti-counterfeiting (ACF) measures to prevent problems before they occur. The key to ACF success is the combination of suitable measures that allow proactive and preventive activities. CHINABRAND understands how to customize and synchronize a range of powerful ACF instruments to strengthen and protect your brand.

An Effective ACF Strategy

American companies should base their ACF activities on their overall competitive strategy and build an integrated system of legal, organizational, technical, and political countermeasures. This system has to be managed by an independent administrative unit that monitors the effects of anti-counterfeiting in the markets on an ongoing basis. The monitoring system delivers fast feedback and allows the company to react immediately to the latest infringement activities. An effective ACF system has the following components: 1) analysis of situation, 2) definition of objectives, 3) strategy definition, 4) proactive measures, and 5) control of results.

Integrating ACF Measures Over Time

Various ACF measures are effective over time. Enforcing intellectual property rights, for example, may have a moderate but immediate effect. Erecting technological barriers can be immediately effective, while training programs work in the middle term, and lobbying with the Chinese government may drive long-term results. A successful ACF system integrates short-term, medium-term, and long-term measures to cover the whole lifecycle of a protected product, concept, or brand.

Single measures are not sufficient to protect companies over the long term. Companies need to integrate legal, organizational, technological and political ACF measures to generate a powerful and lasting protection system.

Companies should ask the following questions about ACF:

What measures are relevant for our business?
What combinations (bundles) of measures have the best effect?
What about the cost-benefit-ratio of particular measurement bundles?

The Pareto Rule is also valid in anti-counterfeiting: 20% of the measures deliver 80% of protection. CHINABRAND can help you identify the right 20% for your brand.