Dupes, Deception and Damage Control: Leveraging IP to Safeguard Brand Equity

In this episode of IPWatchdog Unleashed, host Gene Quinn sits down with Gina Johnson, the Chief Legal Officer of Ridge Wallet, LLC. They dive into Ridge Wallet's approach to intellectual property, and how the company relies on design patents, utility patents, and trademarks to fully protect their products against fakes, dupes, counterfeits and knockoffs. Gina shares her transition from outside counsel to an in-house role, the strategic importance of IP in combating market confusion, and the challenges of dealing with knockoffs and counterfeits on platforms like Amazon and Alibaba. Key topics include the significance of foundational patents, design patents covering product silhouettes, the process of using so-called Schedule A cases for IP enforcement against copycat companies without any (or many) assets reachable in the United States, and the nuances of working within the “Amazon court” to police IP disputes outside of the federal court system. Gina also offers practical advice for startups on the value of early IP protection, and why robust IP protection should be a priority for startups and entrepreneurs.

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