Canada’s Intellectual Property Firm

Media Mention

How small businesses can use IP law to combat foreign counterfeiting – Reagan Seidler speaks to CBC News

Recently, Associate Reagan Seidler spoke with CBC News on foreign counterfeiting.

“No creator is safe from counterfeiting,” Reagan told CBC.

“Counterfeiting hurts businesses. It discourages people from bringing new, inventive products to market. But it also hurts consumers. No one wants to get a knockoff product when they’re expecting the real thing.”

So, what can small businesses do? Reagan suggests sellers should register copyrights on their product photos. “If those photos appear on phony listings online, they can submit a complaint to the e-commerce platform, and base the complaint on copyright infringement of their product photo.”

Businesses with high-selling items can further protect their product designs with industrial design registrations.

Read the full article and watch the interview on CBC News.

About Smart & Biggar

Smart & Biggar is widely recognized as Canada’s leading intellectual property firm, with offices in Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. We are leaders in intellectual property and have been serving clients for over a century. Smart & Biggar operates as part of the IPH Limited group, under its own brand and independent from other IPH member firms.