We offer a wide variety of services that can be tailored to meet the individual needs of every client appropriately.
The React UK experience is completely flexible to provide maximum benefit from the outset.
React UK can provide a bespoke brand protection service that is designed exclusively with the client’s requirements in mind. We are the initial point of contact for all UK and Ireland Law Enforcement enquiries that relate to cases where product examinations and identification is required. As part of our brand protection service, React UK works on behalf of each client to provide witness statements and expert witness evidence where required for a fully flexible and collaborative approach.
For clients who are looking to develop an existing Brand Protection Strategy or begin their own Brand Protection journey, React UK also offers a strategy review service that can help formulate a personalised plan tailored to any individual needs and requirements accordingly.
Brand Protection is a service concerned with the act of preventing counterfeiters from illegally copying Intellectual Property and claiming it as their own. This typically happens when criminal individuals make and sell a product using Trademarks, Designs and Copyright that do not belong to them, and can be easily identified because the products themselves lack the expected quality of the genuine article and are often marketed at a lower price. It is these aspects that manage to damage the genuine brand and owner of the Intellectual Property.
React UK can provide an extensive investigations service for every client in accordance with their anti-counterfeiting requirements. We receive information through agencies like Customs and Trading Standards relating to a possible case of counterfeiting and employ several investigative tactics in order to develop these inquiries on behalf of the client.
Investigations can be conducted in many ways depending on the client’s requirements. React UK has the tools to conduct online and offline investigations by browsing both physical market stalls and online marketplaces such as eBay, Gumtree, Instagram and Facebook for any signs of counterfeit products. We may also make use of further investigative tools as part of this process in order to help us ascertain the full picture as clearly as possible such as covert/overt operations, market surveys, test purchases, client referrals and intelligence development.
All investigation work conducted by React UK typically leads to raid action in collaboration with Law Enforcement and will become a criminal case with Trading Standards. At this point, all of the data collected is passed onto the criminal investigators so that it may be used to build a strong and reliable case.
React UK recognises the need for continued development and education in our industry and the crucial role that this can play when putting together a case to see it through the appropriate criminal proceedings.
As an official partner of the React Network and member of the ACG (Anti-Counterfeiting Group), React UK attends a few annual training events that are held nationally across the UK and Ireland by both organisations.
We work on behalf of our clients which means that training events are an indispensable tool that allow us to assist law enforcement agencies such as Trading Standards, Police, Customs and Border Forces in their investigations. React UK can apply both existing and new knowledge on-the-job training to pass on any relevant information and allow these agencies to identify suspected counterfeit products on behalf of our clients.
Upon request, React UK is also able to hold its own training events that aim to target any educational gaps in the market where counterfeiting crimes may otherwise go undetected.
Every React UK investigation develops into a criminal case with the most favourable outcome being a conviction at the end and working with law enforcement agencies is a crucial part of the process. On behalf of our clients, React UK works with Customs in order to submit AFA’s (Application for Action’s), as well as carry out product examinations and identifications.
“The main purpose of an AFA is to request customs to detain goods found to be suspected of infringing your intellectual property rights (IPR).” (EUIPO, 2019)
We are also equipped with the means to handle all Importer Objections Attendance that come through the Coventry and Langley postal hubs, examining the detained products in detail for any inconsistencies.
Trading Standards is a law enforcement agency that is crucial to the process of building many criminal cases. React UK can conduct product identification and examinations, formally produce witness statements relating to the crime in question, and, where required, attend court as an expert witness on behalf of our clients. Working in collaboration with the authorities, our team can also assist with inspections, raid action and may even be called upon to complete market surveys, test purchases and covert/overt surveillance. Upon completion, all the collated data is then passed onto the relevant law enforcement agency to strengthen any subsequent criminal proceedings.
