ACID AND SNAPDRAGON MONITORING PARTNER TO SAFEGUARD DESIGN BUSINESSES FROM COUNTERFEITS AND IP INFRINGEMENTS Anti Copying in Design (ACID), the UK’s leading design and intellectual property (IP) advocacy organisation, and SnapDragon Monitoring, a renowned online brand protection and reputation management specialist, have forged a strategic partnership aimed at safeguarding design businesses from the perils of counterfeits and IP infringements. In today’s landscape, counterfeiting poses a significant threat to all industries, as counterfeiters continually exploit genuine brand success to produce low-quality imitations of coveted products. These counterfeit goods not only erode brand revenues and compromise IP, but also endanger consumers due to the use of toxic materials. A recent SnapDragon survey discovered that nearly 20 percent of UK SMEs have fallen victim to counterfeit product sales, resulting in severe financial losses for 93 percent of them. Moreover, an astounding £13.6 billion worth of fake goods infiltrated Britain in 2020, causing legitimate businesses to lose sales totalling £9 billion. The collaboration between ACID and SnapDragon aims to combat these issues by offering guidance, advice, and technical monitoring to protect assets. Leveraging SnapDragon’s innovative AI platform, Swoop, SMEs can continually scour the web to detect brand threats, infringements on registered and unregistered IPRs, and counterfeit product listings. They can then take swift action to remove these threats before they damage sales, brand reputation, or customer safety. ACID complements this effort by offering membership to the UK’s premier IP protection advocate. ACID, celebrating its 25th anniversary, is widely recognised for its strong advocacy for IP protection, offering creators and the design community tools for protection, deterrence, and education. According to Dids Macdonald OBE, Co-Founder and CEO of ACID, “Imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery, especially when it has the potential to jeopardise sales, brands, and safety.” She emphasises that 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.” Rachel Jones, CIO, and founder of SnapDragon Monitoring, acknowledges the significant counterfeit problem, stressing that it affects businesses of all sizes. “Counterfeits are a huge problem, yet traditional brand protection has always been geared towards bigger businesses, though counterfeits affect companies of all sizes. 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.” KITE INTRODUCES ECO-FRIENDLY, ECONOMICAL AND VERSATILE KITE MAILER RANGE Kite Packaging, a leading UK supplier of innovative and ecofriendly packaging, has added a brand new range of bubble mailers to its offering. Available in twelve sizes in gold or white, this comprehensive range caters to the diverse packaging needs of any business and is particularly great for those with a large product profile. Kite mailers comply with Royal Mail’s PiP guidelines and can help businesses calculate and regulate their shipping costs to avoid any surprises. Air-filled bubbles also keep overall package weights to a minimum whilst providing an effective, shock-absorbing barrier which cushions and minimises the risk of damage occurring during handling or transit. To add, they provide added protection against weather elements such as moisture and humidity, ideal for goods effected by humidity or temperature. Crafted with a commitment to sustainability, these mailers are FSC certified, contain 70 percent recycled content and are fully recyclable upon disposal, feeding into a circular economy. Kite Packaging can now fit more of these bubble-lined mailers on to a pallet, providing more value for money. Kite mailers are designed with user experience in mind, integrated with an adhesive peel-&-seal strip for effortless, plastic-free seals which cut down pack times and reduce the negative carbon impact of your shipments. The leading online packaging supplier offers competitivelypriced products with wholesale discounts on bulk orders and the added benefit of free delivery on online orders over £45. To learn more about the products and services available at Kite Packaging, please visit www.kitepackaging.co.uk INDUSTRY NEWS 13
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