The UK has real problems with websites selling counterfeit consumer products and the public buying them, trusting the products to be genuine. The lifespan of these websites is often short, making it hard to target the people responsible.
Brand-i is a shopping directory that only lists web outlets selling genuine products. The website was started by a number of people from the public sector, with a background in anti-counterfeiting, to get on top of the problem. Well-known brands are registered on the site and add URLs to stockists selling genuine products.
We were involved from the start of the project and in addition to creating a logo and a design concept, we were also involved with devoloping the site structure and functionality requirements.
Visitors can check whether a website whose authenticity they doubt is listed in Brand-i’s directory of safe stores. If it isn’t, they can report the site and the trademark holder will be notified.
The project is supported by a number of heavy-weight British organisations involved in the fight against counterfeiting.
The website has attracted a lot of attention, amongst others on the BBC, that resulted in a lot of website traffic.
