Counterfeits, “Brand Abuse,” Said To Be Rampant For Small And Medium Sized Businesses

Four out of five small and medium sized businesses suffer from counterfeited products and brand abuse, according to a brand protection company that conducted a study of more than 12,000 businesses in Europe and North America. More than 5,000 of those businesses were small and medium sized businesses (“SMBs”). The most vulnerable industries were fashion and electronics, at 93 percent and 82 percent respectively, followed by sports, homewares, toys and games, and beauty and personal care. There are particular concerns about counterfeit toys and personal care products, as they may present serious safety and health issues.

Although one might assume larger companies are more appealing to cyber-criminals, according to this post that isn’t necessarily the case, as those companies are more likely to have brand and product protection systems in place.