Experts gather in New York City to examine the counterfeiting and product diversion risks brand owners face today 

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - As one of the sponsors of the 11^th Anti-Counterfeiting & Brand Protection East Coast Summit, Kodak met with attendees, presented its broad portfolio of brand protection solutions, and participated in interactive workshops. Keith Cutri, Kodak’s Director of Business Development, Brand Protection Solutions, served as the chair for the second day of the conference.

“The goal of every brand today is to become more global, but with that expansion come a variety of risks and a tremendous set of challenges,” noted Cutri. “Billions of dollars and years of customer loyalty and goodwill are at stake for counterfeiters and diverters looking to exploit demand. Unfortunately, Customs officials and law enforcement cannot provide full protection, so brand owners must take steps to deploy a robust brand protection program to track and protect their products.”

The three-day conference featured workshops, panel discussions, and presentations for the brand owners, security professionals, and law enforcement officials in attendance. Some of the topics included best practices for building a holistic anti-counterfeiting strategy, understanding how to allocate your resources efficiently, and learning about the international perspective and how global brand owners are taking the fight back to counterfeiters.

Cutri led a pre-conference workshop entitled “How Solid is Your Brand Protection Program?” In this session, he helped attendees assess the strength of their programs, understand the risks of gray market product diversion and illicit trade, and learn how to bolster the effectiveness of authentication and track & trace programs.

On day two of the main conference, Cutri led a panel discussion with John DiPalo, COO of Acsis Inc. The topic was “Track & Trace and the Movement of Goods,” covering implications of doing business in a truly global marketplace. Discussion points included best practices for serialization and the importance of item-level traceability. Kodak recently named Acsis as a serialization partner of choice for dual serialization track & trace systems on the packaging line.

“Kodak has a strong history of working with companies around the world to develop, implement, and refine brand protection strategies,” concluded Cutri. “Being part of these events allows us to share our expertise while learning more about the issues that our customers face every day. It’s a very complex problem—one that needs a partner with the right solutions and a deep understanding of the market. Kodak is that partner.”

To learn more about Kodak’s full line of brand protection solutions, please visit www.kodak.com/go/brandprotection.