About Morphsuits
Started as a hilarious prank amongst university friends in 2009, the all-in-one spandex Morphsuit has morphed into a global phenomenon in the fancy dress world. The team at AFG Media, the company behind the Morphsuit, aim to offer the most exciting costumes and best customer service available to their growing legion of customers and have won several awards.
The company has experienced incredible growth over the years and continues to bring creative new costumes to the market.
For more information about AFG Media, Morphsuits and their other products, visit their website.
The Problem
The company behind Morphsuits, AFG Media, hit the headlines early in their history with over one million Facebook fans loving their all-in-one eponymous suit. Since then, they have gone on to expand their range of fancy-dress costumes.
However, in the early days, it was the Morphsuit itself which was of key importance for the team. Recognising that there was widespread, unauthorised use of the company’s registered trademark, Morphsuits, the company reached out to SnapDragon for help and advice.
Their brand was experiencing extensive trademark infringement by online resellers, causing unsuspecting customers to be duped into buying poor quality versions of the Morphsuit.
Not only was this diverting legitimate revenue from the company, but the inferior quality of the counterfeit products resulted in significant customer disappointment and negativity towards the brand.
The Solution
Over 24 months, the team at SnapDragon identified over 200 sellers infringing Morphsuits’ intellectual property rights and successfully removed over 800 links to several million infringing items which were being offered on online marketplaces and social media sites around the world.
In addition to monitoring key marketplaces, the SnapDragon team’s expertise in manufacturing and supply came in particularly useful during discussions about trade secrets around design specifications, and when leading the firm’s enrolment with the EU Enforcement Database.
“While Morphsuits’ IP portfolio is bijou, meaning only key marketplaces and territories can be policed, copyright continues to be a valuable force with which to reckon. The change in policy at Alibaba some years ago, whereby any brand can ‘register’ a trademark, rather than just a household names has also “made a significant difference,” Graeme adds.
“Despite the continued presence of infringing competitors, since working with SnapDragon there has been a tangible reduction in the use of Morphsuits’ trademark, images and designs on the key platforms. Ultimately, this helps to safeguard the brand, grow revenues and protect customers.”
“SnapDragons’ activity tackles the online fakes in a quicker, more cost-effective manner than any legal/IP firm we have come across, while providing evidence for legal experts to concentrate on where they add the most value in C&Ds and litigation.”
WHAT OUR CLIENT SAID:
SnapDragon has, most definitely, reduced the number of counterfeit Morphsuits for sale which is very good news for our customers and our business. It monitors key marketplaces, and requiring only minimal input from the team here, removes infringing listings quickly and efficiently.
The team also works closely with our IP attorneys, collating information which enables them to follow through with cease and desist notifications, as appropriate, in a very timely and cost-effective manner.
Graeme Menzies
Finance Director, AFG
