Counterfeit listings are no longer the only brand threat. Today's beauty brands face a far more complex ecosystem where imitation spreads through creators, algorithms, affiliate marketing and social commerce before a counterfeit product is ever listed for sale.
The rise of creator-led dupe platforms demonstrates exactly why this shift matters.
Generative AI is creating a new age of brand risk — from deepfake endorsements and AI-generated designs to fragmented counterfeit supply chains and misleading “AI washing” claims making the environment around trademarks alot more complex. This article explores why traditional trademark protection is under pressure, and why legal teams must shift toward continuous, intelligence-led protection of brand trust.
For global brands, the question is no longer whether you need protection, but whether your brand protection software is fast and smart enough to keep up with your needs.
Why trust has become the most valuable asset in intellectual property - lessons learnt from INTA 2026 event London: AI is reshaping IP and brand protection — creating new opportunities for legal teams, but also new risks from deepfakes, dupe culture, fake endorsements, and fast-moving online infringement.
IP Protection, Online Brand Protection, Trademarks
As Hornit’s range of cycling products and accessories broadened, and their popularity grew, so did the number of counterfeit and imitation products appearing across online platforms. The counterfeiters were noticed by Hornit because they were stealing and re-using Hornit’s own marketing content and campaigns to sell the counterfeit products.
Brand Protection, Counterfeit, Fake Websites, Impersonation, IP Infringement
For many years, beauty and cosmetic brands have dealt with counterfeiting and imitation as isolated incidents attempting to steal sales — a fake product listing here, a suspicious seller there, and the occasional cloned website redirecting traffic.
However, the explosive rise of the Tik Tok “dupe culture” has fundamentally shifted the scale, speed and sophistication of the brand threat landscape.
Today, imitation is not happening in the shadows. It is happening openly, virally and at an industrial scale.
