AI No longer Just an Option for Brand Protection

A blog article by IP lawyer and brand expert Relani Belous, titled ‘AI is the New Frontline for Brand Protection’, examines how artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming the ‘weapon of choice’ for both sides in the brand protection conflict: brand owners and counterfeiters.

While on the one hand AI is transforming how counterfeits are detected, investigated, and prevented, on the other hand counterfeiters are adopting AI to increase the sophistication and scale of their illicit activities.

Against this backdrop, the article warns that ‘understanding how AI is reshaping anticounterfeiting efforts is no longer optional’ for brand owners, but rather ‘foundational to protecting brand value in a digital-first marketplace’.

The blog goes on to describe how AI is being used both to fight counterfeiting and to facilitate the job of counterfeiters.

A tool to fight counterfeiting

One of AI’s most powerful applications is large-scale detection across digital marketplaces. Machine learning systems can analyse millions of online listings, product images, pricing structures, seller histories, and transactional patterns, simultaneously. Using computer vision and natural language processing, these systems flag suspicious logo use, inconsistent product descriptions, abnormal pricing, and behavioural anomalies across sellers.