Brand protection in the online environment
Brand protection in the online environment is a significant challenge for companies that do not primarily operate in this field. While frauds and other activities that abuse a company's name and trademarks are known and common for banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions, for vehicle manufacturers such as ŠKODA AUTO this is a relatively new area that needs to be carefully monitored and protected.
With the raise of connected vehicles, meaning vehicles that are still connected to the internet, ŠKODA AUTO has entered the online environment much more, for example with its applications that connect mobile phones and vehicles. As part of brand protection, we have to respond much more often to the risks posed by fake fraudulent applications placed on various marketplaces and ensure their timely removal. It is very important for the safety of the vehicle and therefore the safety of the customer not to be confused about which application to install on the mobile phone.
However as part of brand protection on the internet, we also focus on further defence against unfair activities, especially against fraud abusing our name. Such frauds have become a significant trend in recent years and spread mainly on social networks. The speed of their spread is unimaginably fast and can reach thousands of potential victims within the first hours after publication. Therefore, it is very important for our company to have a high-quality threat intelligence tool that monitors such behaviour on the internet and is able to report such activity to us in a matter of minutes and at the same time promptly deal with the removal of such fraudulent activities directly with social network providers.
Last but not least, we cooperate with law enforcement authorities in the investigation of the aforementioned internet frauds. Although from our point of view it is most important to stop the fraud with reference to the ŠKODA name as soon as possible, we provide the police with cooperation in other stages of criminal proceedings so that, in the best case, the perpetrator is caught.
The aim of the lecture is to familiarize the audience with the approach of ŠKODA AUTO a.s. in the field of customer’s protection in the online environment, including the protection of names and rights based on the company's trademarks. The company has implemented a robust monitoring system through which it is able to promptly respond to these threats and possibly solve them. However, each system must be accompanied by a properly set internal process in the company, therefore the aim is also to introduce the audience to how ŠKODA AUTO a.s. operates this monitoring system, what roles it was necessary to create in the company and who cooperates internally on the whole issue of brand protection.
Vítězslav Traurig
Vítězslav Traurig is a member of the legal department of ŠKODA AUTO a.s., where he is responsible for advising on IT and vehicle cybersecurity. He also focuses on the brand protection of the company in the online environment, mainly on preventing trademark infringement, fraudulent activities with the ŠKODA name on social networks and in online app stores