This article explains what happens once you initiate enforcement and how the finding's status evolves throughout the process.
Enforcing a finding is a critical step in the brand protection process, and RightHub makes it simple and efficient. By clicking Enforce, you are triggering a series of actions that work toward resolving the infringement.
Step 1: Unhandled to Initiated
Once you click the Enforce button on a finding the status changes from Unhandled to Initiated.
The Initiated status means that the finding has been flagged for enforcement, but no complaint has been filed yet.
Step 2: Initiated to Processing
Once the complaint is filed the status of the finding will update from Initiated to Processing.
When the status is Processing, it indicates that the complaint is being reviewed by the responsible third party platform.
To generate the complaint, the system uses information from the search specification, such as the Linked IP Records. For more information on how Linked IP Records work, please refer to our article: What Are Linked IP Records and How Are They Used?
Step 2.5: Complaint sub‑types
When RightHub generates a complaint, it uses the pre-determined nature of the infringement so that the appropriate complaint type is sent. Each enforcement action is categorised into one of the following sub‑types:
- Copyright – Unauthorized use of images – used when someone reproduces or displays your copyrighted images without permission.
- Copyright – Pirated product – selected when the product in question is a pirated copy of copyrighted material rather than an authentic item.
- Trademark – Misuse – applied when a third party misuses your trademark (for example, in a misleading or unauthorised way) that could confuse or mislead consumers.
- Trademark – Counterfeit – used when the item is a direct counterfeit of your trademarked goods or brand.
- Design – Design right infringement – chosen when the design of a product infringes your registered design rights (for example, by copying the appearance or aesthetic features of your product).
These sub‑types help our system select the correct complaint format and legal basis for each finding.
Step 3: Processing to X
After the complaint is processed by the third party, the finding will transition from Processing to one of two statuses: Rejected or Removed.
If the third-party platform rejects the complaint, the status changes to Rejected and no further action will be taken. If refiling a complaint is appropriate, the finding will remain processing.
If the complaint is successful, the finding will be marked as Removed. This indicates that the infringing content has been taken down or modified.
Conclusion
Clicking Enforce is the first step toward resolving an infringement. It sets the process in motion, changing the status from Unhandled to Initiated to Processing, and eventually to Removed or Rejected, as the complaint is submitted and reviewed.