Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement Manual - Ipr-policy.eu
Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement Manual - Ipr-policy.eu
Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement Manual - Ipr-policy.eu
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at the early stages of research <strong>and</strong> development <strong>and</strong><br />
marketed products to build risk deterrents into each<br />
product <strong>and</strong> its packaging.<br />
Product <strong>Protection</strong><br />
With more than 250 operating companies, the<br />
counterfeiting teams collaborate on the importance<br />
of implementing protection at the research <strong>and</strong><br />
development stage <strong>and</strong> take multiple steps to protect<br />
their br<strong>and</strong>s. Layering technologies is one of the<br />
primary tactics J&J uses to safeguard its products.<br />
Both overt <strong>and</strong> covert technologies are used to mark<br />
a legitimate product. Howard explains, “I’m going to<br />
pick a pharmac<strong>eu</strong>tical bottle as an example. We may<br />
have overt <strong>and</strong> covert features integrated into a label for<br />
the bottle. We may have overt <strong>and</strong> covert features in<br />
the introduction seal of the bottle itself or in the cap.<br />
A single layer simply doesn’t offer the protection we<br />
believe is necessary. We also don’t use the same<br />
protection at each layer. Mixing technologies such as<br />
molecular markers, color-shifting ink, <strong>and</strong> even font<br />
shifts or changes in graphics provides for a much more<br />
robust line of defense.”<br />
When looking for a technology supplier, Johnson<br />
& Johnson’s first concern stems from its credo. The<br />
company wants to ensure that as it works hard to<br />
protect consumers <strong>and</strong> products, its affiliates are good<br />
to their people, the environment, <strong>and</strong> have a concern<br />
for consumer protection. Beyond that, Howard says,<br />
“With the br<strong>and</strong> integrity elements, we want to make<br />
sure that suppliers have a strong knowledge base. We<br />
also want to make sure that they have the ability to supply<br />
to people who hold even higher security levels than<br />
we may think of, such as companies that produce bank<br />
notes <strong>and</strong> secure papers. Those are the types of suppliers<br />
that underst<strong>and</strong> the importance <strong>and</strong> the nature of<br />
maintaining confidentiality in their secure products.”<br />
operating procedure for all its operating companies. This<br />
plan will be based on current successful efforts put into<br />
place by the monitoring <strong>and</strong> enforcement person in each<br />
of the three market sectors. It includes educating groups<br />
in the field—doctors, nurses, law enforcement officials,<br />
customs officials, distributors, supply chain partners,<br />
security groups, <strong>and</strong> other parties that h<strong>and</strong>le J&J’s<br />
products.<br />
Measuring the benefits of authentication technology<br />
<strong>and</strong> br<strong>and</strong> protection tactics is easier said than done.<br />
According to Howard, “It’s very difficult from our<br />
perspective to accurately gauge how big a counterfeiting<br />
or diversion problem is across a company the size of<br />
J&J.” Ultimately, however, measuring performance based<br />
on anything other than protecting the patient doesn’t<br />
really have a payback.<br />
The Road Ahead<br />
Moving forward, Johnson & Johnson will continue to<br />
evaluate <strong>and</strong> reconfigure its technologies to stay ahead of<br />
the counterfeiters. Howard says, “We try to make people<br />
aware that if they have a technology that could have an<br />
application in our industry we will give them an<br />
opportunity to educate us.” J&J also tries to introduce<br />
nonassociated companies, whose technologies may benefit<br />
from one another. This further promotes combining<br />
tactics for ultimate protection. Howard concludes, “You<br />
have to immerse yourself in this issue. You have got to<br />
get in <strong>and</strong> be willing to work <strong>and</strong> listen to make it<br />
really happen.”<br />
Page 32<br />
The Rollout<br />
J&J is in the process of developing a technology<br />
rollout <strong>and</strong> education plan that will be st<strong>and</strong>ard