OpSec Security Announces BrandSecure Solutions for Integrated Anti-Counterfeiting and Online Brand Protection

OpSec Security, Inc., global leader in anti-counterfeiting and brand protection, today announced BrandSecure™ Solutions, the world’s only comprehensive suite of technologies and services for integrated physical product security and online brand protection. OpSec’s BrandSecure Solutions are used to secure global brands against counterfeiting, gray market diversion, digital piracy, intellectual property infringements, and brand abuse.

In today’s economy, leading brands are under attack as consumers seek low-priced bargains and illegal entities increase the availability, distribution, and sale of counterfeit and pirated goods. With counterfeits accounting for approximately 7% of world trade and $600 billion annual sales, brand owners are pressed to implement security measures to address these urgent business challenges.

“As companies take a closer look at protecting their sales revenues and increasing brand loyalty, they realize the impact of counterfeiting, parallel imports, piracy, unauthorized channels, and damaging consumer sentiments. By leveraging our technology portfolio, OpSec is able to achieve measurable ROI in helping brand owners address their enforcement priorities, and tailor a security solution to tackle their areas of greatest exposure,” said Jeffrey Unger, President, Brand Protection, OpSec Security. “In addition, OpSec’s unique ability to address both the physical supply chain and online distribution channels enables us to provide an integrated brand protection solution to support an overall security and intellectual property enforcement strategy.”

“We have been working with OpSec to authenticate over $1.2 billion of licensed collegiate merchandise each year. It is an essential element of our enforcement strategy to protect the 180 brands in the Collegiate Licensed Properties Association (CLPA). With the continuing growth of our online merchandising business, we chose to expand our partnership with OpSec to manage our online enforcement, in addition to our product authentication program,” said Richard Rademaker, Executive Director, CLPA. “With OpSec as our strategic partner, we are able to protect the revenue streams and build the brand equity of our member colleges.”

OpSec’s BrandSecure Solutions include the following technologies and services:

• Anti-Counterfeiting – Development of custom product security devices for authentication of genuine merchandise
• Supply Chain Security – Product tracking of branded goods to increase supply chain visibility and reduce the risk of gray market diversion
• E-Commerce Monitoring – Reduction of unauthorized online sales channels to regain market share and revenues
• Anti-Piracy – Prevention of illegal downloads in the piracy of digital media
• Intellectual Property Enforcement – Internet monitoring of infringements on trademarks, logos, and domain names
• Brand Reputation Management – Business intelligence on product integrity and brand image from social media and consumer sentiments

OpSec currently works with over 300 brand owners and 5,000 affiliated companies, licensees, factories, manufacturers, and agents in the licensed merchandise, luxury goods, apparel, electronics, media, and pharmaceutical sectors. Examples of the benefits of OpSec’s integrated BrandSecure Solutions to brand owners include:

• A major licensor uses BrandSecure Solutions to authenticate over $1 billion of licensed merchandise annually. OpSec also manages their online enforcement program which represents over 20% of sales. In six months, more than 20,000 unlicensed products were removed from the Internet. In another case, over 300 unapproved sites were shutdown within a 48-hour period.
• A major software company applies BrandSecure Solutions for product authentication on both the software CDs and product packaging. OpSec also provides online enforcement services for identifying counterfeit software products and illegal downloads. Within six months of program inception, 98.5% of illegal downloads were eliminated. In a one-year timeframe, monitoring of consumer sentiments showed an increase of 60% in consumer awareness to look for the “hologram” as proof of a genuine product.

About OpSec

OpSec Security, Inc. is a wholly-owned division of OpSec Security Group plc (London AIM: OSG). OpSec Security is the global leader in providing anti-counterfeiting technologies, as well as solutions and services for physical and online brand protection, to over 300 brand owners and over 50 governments worldwide. The Group operates manufacturing facilities and laboratories in the USA and the UK, and has sales operations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please see www.opsecsecurity.com, or contact Terri Mock, +1-617-226-3000, or tmock@opsecsecurity.com.