Marketplace Search is a powerful tool designed to protect your brand from counterfeit products, unauthorized sellers, and other forms of infringement across online marketplaces. But how does this process actually work? Below, we’ll break down the key steps involved in running a Marketplace Search, from the initial setup to enforcement actions.
1. Search Specifications: The Foundation of Marketplace Search
The entire Marketplace Search process begins with what we call Search Specifications (read more). These specifications are like a blueprint that contains all the necessary instructions for conducting a search. The details include:
- Marketplaces: The specific online marketplaces that will be monitored.
- Search terms: The keywords, brand names, images, and other criteria used to identify potential infringements.
- Filters: Criteria to sort and analyze the search results.
- Related records: related portfolio records to use when autogenerating complaints.
2. Automated Search Execution
To run the searches, a virtual computer is deployed and programmed with the instructions contained in the Search Specifications. Here’s how it operates:
- Website Visits: The virtual computer visits the designated websites and performs searches according to the set queries.
- Data Collection: As the virtual computer navigates through the search results, it captures screenshots and extracts relevant data from the product pages.
- Filtering and Analysis: The raw data is then filtered and analyzed based on the predefined criteria, such as the Image Evaluation Threshold. This step helps to identify the most relevant results and exclude any false positives.
3. Uploading Results to the RightHub Platform
After the search and analysis are complete, the filtered results are uploaded to the RightHub platform. This is where the findings are centralized, allowing you to review and take further action. Each finding is accompanied by screenshots, detailed information, and any relevant data extracted during the search.
4. Assessment of Findings
Once the findings are uploaded, the next critical step is Infringement Assessment. Here’s what happens:
- Verification: Each finding is reviewed to confirm whether it truly represents an infringement of your brand’s intellectual property.
- Decision-Making: Based on the verification, the findings are classified into one of three categories:
- Enforcement: If the content is deemed infringing, it will be marked for enforcement action.
- Authorization: If the content is legitimate, it will be marked as authorized.
- Not relevant: If the content is neither infringing nor relevant, it will be marked as Not Relevant.
5. Status Updates
After the assessment, the status of each finding is updated on the RightHub platform. The status indicates the current state of the finding, whether it's awaiting enforcement, has been authorized, or marked as Not Relevant. This status will guide the next steps for each particular finding and ensure that you’re always informed about the progress of each case.
For more information on what each status means, please refer to our article on Status Definitions.
Conclusion
Marketplace Search is a comprehensive process designed to safeguard your brand by automatically searching online marketplaces, analyzing results, and managing enforcement actions. By setting up detailed Search Specifications, leveraging automated virtual computers for data collection, and using the RightHub platform for assessment, you can efficiently protect your brand from online threats.