The cases of fraudulent use of well-known brands realtor firms
Posted on Jul 19, 2012
Recently, the Russian real estate market, the cases of the misuse of brands. Pirates have already used the names of MIAN and PIC, and most recently added the victims and “Vash financial guardian” (WWF). The company received delivery offering to buy health complex “peace”, allegedly belonging to the project “Ruza Switzerland”, which implements the WWF.
Market participants indicate that the situation in which there was a company “Vash financial trustee,” not unique. The spokesperson of the PIK Group Dmitry Ivliev noted that the mass-to-market cooperatives, used in advertising acronym PIC leadership were forced to appeal to the Federal Antimonopoly Service. Only after a decision of FAS advertising expansion “Clones” was terminated. A CEO “MIAN-real estate agency” Nina Kuznetsova was forced to make a statement, which drew the attention of consumers to the fact that the market has a team of crooks who use the companys name.
The CC “Garant-Invest” (engaged in the construction of shopping centers) RBC daily said that the companys image was severely damaged when the market has its “clone” – “Garant Invest”. According to participants in the construction market, the new company is a pyramid scheme. “Every day, our office received a few calls to the claims of depositors and to explain that we do not have anything to do with the company-clone” – said the general director of “Garant-Invest” Andrew Epifantsev.
At the same time, according to the head of the center of corporate promotion “Miel-Real Estate” Natalia Zavalishin piracy shows that companies whose names are used “as a locomotive,” are respected and strong brands.
Agree with it, and a partner of the Bar “Barshevsky and partners” Natalia Barshchevskaya. In her view, copy, brand recognition is a kind of popular companies in the market. “However, the effects of such recognition can be very sad – she said. – If a company does not respond to unauthorized use of its brand, the damage can be severe.” According Barshchevskaya, much easier to prove the illegal use of the brand, if there is a paper document – for example, brochure or advertisement in a newspaper while on Internet sources to make it virtually impossible.
Direct damage caused by improper use of a brand company will not be, but the undermining of confidence in it can lead to financial losses in the medium to long term, says partner of the law firm “Pepeliaev, Goltsblat & Partners” Vitaly Mozharovsky. “If the cases where the company name is copied repeatedly and even more so when it comes to the use of the name by fraudsters, the situation may force the company to re-brand, which will cost a round sum,” – said the expert.