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Please enjoy our latest newsletter to help keep you up-to-date on the activities of the Center.
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THE BRAND PROTECTION PROFESSIONAL: A PRACTITIONER'S JOURNAL
Following its launch in September, 2016, the A-CAPP Center in partnership with UL, released a second issue of The Brand Protection Professional (BPP) in December, with a third issue to be released later this month.
The BPP is a quarterly journal written exclusively for the brand protection community and aims to advance brand protection through an accessible, comprehensive forum containing essential information authored by brand owners, academics, law enforcement officials, industry representatives, and legal professionals.
Each issue provides coverage of strategy assessments, cutting-edge research, best practices, legislative news and analysis, case studies, crucial trends, resources, opportunities, and other information of interest to brand protection professionals. Among featured topics to date have been stories on
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How to Talk to Your CFO/COO about brand protection (September 2016)
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Canada's New Trademark Legislation (September 2016)
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How Global Firms Organize for Brand Protection (September 2016)
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What You Need to Know About the 3rd Amendment to the China Trademark Law (December 2016)
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Landmark Landlord Liability Case in the European Union (December 2016)
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The Self-Balancing Scooter Crisis and the Enforcement of a Certification Trademark (December 2016)
Regular columns are
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In the Headlines, a review of some of the most important stories regarding brand protection in recent months
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What to Watch, a forecast of issues likely to affect the brand protection field in coming months
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Temperature Test, with poll results from brand protection professionals on issues they face
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Legislative Update, highlighting key legal issues
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A View from the Field, featuring a dialogue among brand protection professionals on their work
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Professional Pointers, identifying tips for practitioners
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BP Forum, where brand protection professionals discuss such topics as collaboration in their work or how they entered the field
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The Bulletin, a listing of events and publications of interest to brand protection professionals.
The March 2017 issue will include a discussion of how the pending UK departure from the European Union may shape brand protection issues, as well as insights on the background of brand protection professionals.
The BPP benefits from a leadership team of academic and industry experts, including Leah Evert-Burks, BPP managing editor and A-CAPP Center Industry Fellow as well as former Director of Brand Protection for Deckers Outdoor Corporation, Cliff Grammich, Executive Editor and A-CAPP Center Research Specialist, and Jeremy Wilson, A-CAPP Center Director and Professor of the MSU School of Criminal Justice. Other editorial board members are Thomas Hult of the MSU Broad College of Business, Warren MacInnis and Monica Mena of UL, Kami Silk of the MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences, and Vivian Vassallo of Dolby Laboratories.
For more information on the BPP, including how to receive a free online subscription, click here. To contribute to the BPP, write Leah Evert-Burks at leahevertburks@gmail.com
 
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A-CAPP CENTER STAFF ADDITIONS
The A-CAPP Center continues to grow in its core staff, its fellows, and in its number of students.
STAFF
 Cliff Grammichhas joined the A-CAPP Center staff as a Research Specialist. Previously an Academic Fellow with the Center, Cliff will continue to perform a broad array of research and communication functions, including development of newsletters, briefings and other products related to anti-counterfeiting and product protection; help with editing of The Brand Protection Professional; and support substantive development of proposals, research publications, and training and outreach products.
Spencer Simon has joined the A-CAPP Center staff as a Technical Aide. He has been involved with the Center since early 2016, where he served as a student intern for two semesters. A recent graduate of the School of Criminal Justice, Spencer is working with Dr. Brandon Sullivan on the Product Counterfeiting Database project with the National Institute of Justice.
Also a previous intern, Lorryn Young now serves as a Professional Aide for the Center. She is a second year law student at MSU's College of Law with an emphasis on Intellectual Property, Information, and Communications Law. Lorryn lends her knowledge, primarily working with Kari Kammel on intellectual property laws research.
LAW ENFORCEMENT FELLOW
 Michael LeMieuxrecently retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Supervisory Special Agent and national program manager at the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. He managed FBI investigations involving theft of trade secrets, counterfeit goods that pose a threat to health and safety, and copyright and trademark infringement cases which have a national security, organized crime, or significant economic impact. He also executed Department of Justice anti-counterfeiting initiatives that combined the efforts of brand owners, government, and intermediary platforms.
STUDENT INTERNS/EXTERNS
This winter the A-CAPP Center welcomed several returning student interns. The 2017 Spring semester interns are Matt Maher (Criminal Justice) for his fourth semester, Kaitlyn McClough (Criminal Justice) for her third semester, and Melanie Goerke (Construction Management), Devin McClenton (Criminal Justice), Joseph Morgan(Supply Chain Management), Kathleen Refior (Marketing), Tarek Kaafarani (Engineering), and Kayla Weaver (Chemistry) for their second semesters.
Graduate student, Ross Militz (Criminal Justice) also returned for his third semester and continues to work with Dr. Jeremy Wilson as a graduate assistant.
New to the Center for the 2017 Spring semester are interns Marti Balow (Criminal Justice), Aria Holley (Humanities--Pre Law), Graham Raby (Criminal Justice), Florence Uwimbabazi (Public Relations) and graduate assistant Jasmin Newton (Criminal Justice), who is working with Dr. Jay Kennedy.
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INTERN PROJECT TARGETS COUNTERFEITING OF UNIVERSITY TRADEMARKS
A-CAPP Center student interns from Criminal Justice, Construction Management, Humanities- Pre Law, Chemistry, and Marketing are working together throughout the spring 2017 semester on a team project to examine counterfeit products advertised and sold on social media platforms.
 The sale of counterfeits on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, has been especially challenging for university brands, whose trademarks are often counterfeited and used on unlicensed merchandise.
Part of the challenge in defending these trademarks is a result of student consumers being unable or unwilling to distinguish counterfeit from legitimate products. Often consumers do not know whether the product they purchased was officially licensed, while others are fully aware yet still purchase the counterfeit.
The A-CAPP Center student interns have been tasked with developing a strategic message and dissemination plan to (1) help students identify counterfeit products for sale on social media platforms and (2) encourage them to purchase products officially licensed by the university. This includes the development of a short video targeting university students along with a group presentation and written report.
The student project is based on research being conducted by Dr. Brandon Sullivan of the A-CAPP Center and Dr. Saleem Alhabash, an MSU Assistant Professor of Public Relations and Social Media. The project is also in cooperation with MSU Licensing.
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TEAM FEATURE
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KARI KAMMEL
At the A-CAPP Center, Kari works on professional training, adult education, and program management and design. As Assistant Director for Education and Outreach, she enjoys working on the Center's executive education programming, outreach and collaboration on and off-campus, managing the student program, and research on legal issues pertaining to trademark counterfeiting.
She is currently working on a comprehensive analysis of U.S. state trademark laws and case laws as they pertain to anti-counterfeiting, along with other researchers at the Center. Her interest in legal issues comes from her prior work at DePaul College of Law in rule of law, international law, and intellectual property issues. She enjoys working at the Center because of its multi-disciplinary focus and space for creativity and cutting-edge research and delivery.
Off campus, she volunteers as a board member at the Capital Area Humane Society and lives with her husband, 2 year-old son, and large dog in Okemos.
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RECENT ACTIVITIES
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Brandon Sullivan attended the National Cyber-Forensics & Training Alliance conference in November 2016.
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Leah Evert-Burks presented on the A-CAPP Center and the BPP at the American Apparel and Footware Association's (AAFA's) Brand Protection Council Winter meeting in November 2016.
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Kari Kammel and Ron Davis facilitated an Executive Education Seminar, "Brand Protection in China" in February, 2017.
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Jay Kennedy & Rod Kinghorn attended MSU's School of Criminal Justice Career Fair on behalf of the A-CAPP Center in February 2017.
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Jeremy Wilson served as a panelist at the Alliance for Gray Market and Counterfeit Abatement (AGMA) conference in February 2017.
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Brandon Sullivan conducted a training at the North Carolina District Attorneys Conference in February 2017.
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Brandon Sullivan presented on the risks of counterfeiting in the US Department of Defense supply chain to the US Army NETCOM Command Strategy Group in February 2017.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Visit the A-CAPP Center staff at these upcoming events.
Underwriters Laboratories and International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC) Foundation's
Brand Owner & Law
Enforcement Summit
March 7 - 8, 2017
Cerritos, California
International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC) Spring Conference
May 17 - 19, 2017
Barcelona, Spain
Hold the date!
A-CAPP Center Brand Protection Strategy Summit
October 3 - 4, 2017
Lansing, Michigan
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EDUCATION
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BRAND PROTECTION EDUCATION SURVEY
The A-CAPP Center's education program is expanding. We invite brand owners, law enforcement, and other stakeholders to complete a brief survey and help ensure the Center's programs meet the needs of the field.
take survey
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THE BRAND PROTECTION HERO AWARD
Nominations are now being accepted for the A-CAPP Center's Brand Protection Hero Award through
June 1, 2017
nominate
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PURI AWARD TO SUPPORT RESEARCH ON NEWS COVERAGE
 Dr. Brandon Sullivan and A-CAPP Center student Kaitlyn McCullough have received an award from the MSU College of Social Science Provost Undergraduate Research Initiative (CSS-PURI) for a study contrasting news media coverage of terrorist and corporate crimes. They will study two crimes that occurred the same week in 2013: the Boston Marathon Bombing and the West (Texas) Fertilizer Plant Explosion. The co-occurrence of these two crimes provides a unique opportunity to examine the differences in the quality and quantity of coverage for these two very different crimes, both of which caused immediate death and injury and broader societal harm. While this research does not involve product counterfeit cases, it may yield insights on how counterfeiting is covered by the media. Kaitlyn will present this research at the University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF) in April. Dr. Sullivan has previously conducted research on the portrayal of product counterfeiting in the news media.
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RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Liabilities and Responsibilities: Ocean Transportation Intermediaries (OTIs) and the Distribution of Counterfeit Goods, article in Maritime Economics & Logistics
Explaining Consumer Demand for Counterfeit Goods: Social Learning or Low Self-Control?, A-CAPP Center Backgrounder
The 2016 A-CAPP Center Brand Protection Strategy Summit: Emerging Challenges, and Progress, A-CAPP Center Paper
Proposed Solutions to the Brand Protection Challenges and Counterfeiting Risks Faced by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), article in Journal of Applied Security Research
Occupational Pharmaceutical Counterfeiting Schemes: A Crime Scripts Analysis, article in Victims & Offenders
Assessing the Developing Knowledge-Base of Product Counterfeiting: A Content Analysis of Four Decades of Research, article in Trends in Organized Crime
Interview with the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) Danny Marti, article in the Brand Protection Professional
Crisis Mitigation Through Communication in Brand Protection, article in the Brand Protection Professional
Marketing for Brand Protection Inside and Outside Your Organization, article in the Brand Protection Professional
How to Talk to Your CFO/CEO: An Interview with Zohar Ziv, article in the Brand Protection Professional
How Global Firms Organize for Brand Protection, article in the Brand Protection Professional
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