Is Your Corporation Safe in Cyberspace

Is Your Corporation Safe in Cyberspace? Are You Sure? The World Wide Web offers untold new opportunities for business. And real cause for concern.
	As the wonders of Cyberspace continue to unfold for business, so too, do the risks. Everyday an avalanche of new material pours onto the Internet. While the vast majority of this new content comes from legitimate business concerns, an increasingly large amount does not. Just as the Internet has opened new doors of opportunity for business, it has opened the floodgates to crime and abuse. At greatest risk: your prized intellectual property assets. Today, virtually ANYONE with access to the Internet and a few modern technological tools can steal and illegitimately profit from them. Hackers, crackers, knockoff artists,
unscrupulous competitors, and software pirates are flocking online in astonishing numbers. If you have valuable intellectual property assets, they’re at the door, waiting to come in. Some may be one step inside already… Fortunately, there’s something you can do. Given the “anything goes” climate of Cyberspace, the built-in anonymity and the absence of clear-cut laws to control Internet commerce, your licensed, copyright or trademarked properties may look like fair game to potential infringers. Your finely-honed corporate image, your brilliant marketing strategies, your exclusive product image—all easy, valuable prey. The danger of on-line infringement and counterfeiting is costing U.S. business untold millions, and it’s growing at an alarming rate.
	Your competitive edge. The Internet has spawned a vast new breed of concerns for brand managers, too. In the guise of aggrieved customers, your competitors can launch potentially devastating info attacks your products, spreading rumors or communicating harmful misperceptions. Unless you know exactly what’s being said, and have the means and the will to stop them, your brands are dangerously exposed. Your image. You need to keep a watchful eye on the on-line media, too. A single negative review published on the Internet can wreak havoc on your customer’s perceptions or
shareholder confidence. Likewise, a favorable review that slips your notice quickly translates into lost marketing opportunities. And that means lost sales. Clearly, in the digital age, you need to know who’s saying what about your products, and be prepared to respond effectively.
Introducing Web.Sweep^SM: Internet monitoring at a higher level.
	Michael G. Kessler & Associates, the world-wide corporate investigative consulting firm to Fortune 100 clients and startup entrepreneurs alike, has developed a powerful, state-of-the-art Internet monitoring program that enables you to search and detect unauthorized use or abuse of your intellectual property rights online, and prepare a swift and effective response against would-be infringers. Web.Sweep is not like any other on-line monitoring service. It brings a powerful combination of state-of-the-art technology and unparalleled investigative resources to bear on those who try to exploit and illegitimately profit from your protected intellectual property.
Web.Sweep brings Internet monitoring to a new, higher level. With one call to Michael G. Kessler & Associates, this revolutionary new service can be put to work for you. The most rigorous on-line search you can make. The powerful technology component of Web.Sweep is a new, proprietary software that performs an exhaustive, real-time search of the Internet for critical intelligence about your company and your competitors. In what is the most thorough search of on-line sources anywhere, Web.Sweep literally sweeps the entire Internet—the World Wide Web, Usenet, the commercial on-line services,over 30,000 news groups,and emerging on-line media—searching for references (or likeness) to your protected property, your products or brands, and pertinent competitive intelligence. If it belongs to you and it’s being used on-line without your consent, Web.Sweep will find it! State-of-the-art technology shores up your defense. Web.Sweep begins its state-of-the-art detective work by systematically searching out key words or symbols that compare closely to your intellectual property material(s). Employing state-of-the-art intelligent systems, the service can be customized to search for copyrighted materials, trademarks, licensed images, names or phrases or other intangibles you specify. Once Web.Sweep detects a site containing elements of similarity to your intellectual property, the site is “tagged” for personal review by a team of highly skilled researchers and investigators at Kessler & Associates.
	Intensive profiling amplifies the power of your search. As with any automated program, the effectiveness of the program rests wholly on the quality of information supplied at the front end. In this respect, Web.Sweep excels. That’s because at Kessler & Associates, we recognize every client is unique, with unique concerns, risks and opportunities. Our researchers and investigators work closely with you to understand your needs, define your objectives and construct the appropriate search parameters.
Once this comprehensive profiling and interview process is complete, your Kessler investigative consultant will submit and discuss with you the recommended Web.Sweep strategy—its timing, frequency and scope of search—so that together we can quickly and expertly uncover your risks and liabilities online. Leverage the power of information. Advanced technology and unrivaled investigative experience are prime reasons why many clients choose Kessler & Associates and Web.Sweep. The high level of quality information we deliver is why so many clients continue to retain us. Other on-line monitoring services—in their attempt to keep you “informed”—simply provide computerized laundry lists of unauthorized usage occurrences. The burden of deciphering the data—and deciding what to do about it—is left to you. Not so with Web.Sweep. Web.Sweep clients receive consistent, timely, and meaningful reports on all detected activity in their areas of concern, and full-service investigative support if indicated. Weekly reports that truly fill you in. As a Web.Sweep subscriber, you will receive an initial, comprehensive report summarizing all on-line references to your protected property throughout the Internet. At this time, the Kessler investigative team will assist you in analyzing each reference, scrutinizing suspicious Web sites, making notes and observations about the comparative similarities, analyzing the ways in which names, images, and phrases are being utilized. Then, on a weekly basis, you will receive a detailed summary of any changes to that activity detected during the week and valuable analysis from our experienced investigators.
	If further action is recommended to protect your intellectual property, Kessler & Associates will make recommendations as to an appropriate course of action to deter further activity. Thus, Web.Sweep gives you the peace of mind that your intellectual properties are being safeguarded, and the convenience of ‘one-stop’ shopping for investigative knowledge and support. Powerful solutions in Internet monitoring—and beyond. Once infringement is detected, time is of the essence. And no Internet monitoring or investigative service is better
prepared to act on your behalf than Kessler & Associates. At your request, Kessler & Associates will go undercover, make purchases, and gather other materials as necessary to make a legally sound determination if an infringement has taken place. We may also, at your request, issue Cease and Desist notices on your behalf. These notices, which thoroughly explain the nature of the offense and specifically outline the infringements, give offenders clear, compelling reason to discontinue unauthorized use of your protected materials. In most instances, further legal action may be avoided once a Cease and Desist notice has been issued. Protect your company and stop the theft of your intellectual property now! Make Web.Sweep and the experts at Michael G. Kessler & Associates’ part of your defense against the rising tide of on-line intellectual property theft and abuse. You’ll gain state-of-the-art protection against on-line counterfeiting, diversion and trademark and copyright infringement. You’ll have a powerful deterrent and early response against unfair competitors and would-be infringers. You may even avoid the time-consuming process and costly fees associated with intellectual property infringement litigation. There’s simply no more efficient, cost-effective way to safeguard your company’s most valuable assets.
	You too can protect your intellectual property rights online! A major publishing company retained Kessler & Associates to use Web.Sweep to search on-line sources for illegal use of its trademarks. Within one month of monitoring, Web.Sweep detected 245 instances of potential trademark infringement implying association with the company. Kessler & Associates furnished detailed graphic reports of each incident, accompanied by analysis of usage. In many of these cases, Kessler & Associates conducted further investigation to ascertain additional facts to be used by their attorneys in litigation. A major fragrance manufacturer sought help from Kessler &
Associates for assistance in identifying the source of diverted products. Web.Sweep located vendors selling the products at major discounts, and further investigation disclosed the product to be counterfeit. Kessler & Associates provided the valuable evidence needed in litigation against the perpetrators. A home products merchandising company sought assistance from Kessler & Associates to investigate the potentially unfair marketing practices of a competitor. Kessler & Associates uncovered evidence of the competitor employing practices which formed the grounds of a lawsuit based on trademark dilution and misappropriation of advertising ideas.