Plant Traps X Corsearch: Revenue Recovery for a Market Leading Invention

The internet creates an infinite scale for infringement. 

For innovators, achieving market success often means immediate exposure to mass counterfeiting.

When Deborah Holtschlag, founder of PlantTraps, invented RailScapes, she didn’t just launch another railing planter - she brought innovation to the category. As the first tool-free vertical gardening solution for railings, RailScapes not only transformed balcony gardening but opened up new territory, enabling indoor and staircase displays.

The ‘Virality’ Problem

Social media success quickly attracted problems. RailScapes’ virality caught the attention of counterfeiters, drawn by its low manufacturing costs and ease of shipping. RailScapes faced mass counterfeiting on major Chinese platforms.

"I remember asking, ‘How much infringement is there out there?' - and the result was over 2,000 listings. I just remember being blown away by how much infringement there was - just blown away and scared.”

^{Deborah Holtschlag - Owner of Plant Traps}

Without active Brand Protection, the business faced a critical threat. PlantTraps, an original American product, could not compete with the pricing and distribution advantages of counterfeiters.  

Deborah knew that an intellectual property and Brand Protection strategy was vital to controlling the company’s revenue, she needed a partner that could see risk early and act with confidence against bad actors.

Moving From reactive to Proactive Enforcement

Deborah considered other vendors but recognized the need for a partner capable of effective legal enforcement. Another entrepreneur had warned her that other services often failed to seal lawsuits correctly, allowing counterfeiters to move assets quickly and slip away. Deborah was given the referral to speak to Corsearch in order to take control of the situation and protect her brand.

Working together, the strategy shifted from reactive takedowns to comprehensive enforcement, allowing:

• Removal of over 1,200 listings in the first 30 days and 2,900 listings as of this publishing
  

• Using the enforcement program Revenue Recovery 360 which pursues bad actors through Schedule A litigation. Recovering over $500,000 through two lawsuits involving over 450 defendants.
  
• Secured a $150,000 and an additional $50,000 following a default judgment
  

Navigating the future of AI and Brand Protection

The landscape evolves quickly and RailScapes has seen continued threats.

Most recently, anonymous attackers used AI to create a network of cloned domains for Facebook ads, made from stolen social media content. While AI empowers scammers, it also serves as a critical defensive tool and accelerated the scale at which Coresearch can respond.

Corsearch was able to flag suspicious websites that are less than 100 days old and automatically identify Trademark and copyright infringements, prioritizing threats and letting PlantTraps focus on business.

"Before I found Corsearch, I was spending so much of my time trying to figure out the reports and trying to understand. It was scary. It was just plain scary. And I was spending hours and hours a day doing reports.”

^{Deborah Holtschlag - Owner of Plant Traps}

A foundation for the future

Plant Traps understands that Brand Protection is vital for establishing market leadership and to create a robust deterrent for counterfeiters around the world.  

By treating intellectual property as a core business asset from the beginning, Deborah successfully shielded her company's revenue and market position and was able to leverage her IP as a strategic asset.

PlantTraps was able to regain e-commerce exclusivity and protect the brand by engaging Corsearch to pursue and report bad actors at scale, recover lost revenue and dissuade repeat offenders.

“Finding Corsearch was a turning point. I recommend them to every inventor and brand owner who will listen.”

^{Deborah Holtschlag - Owner of PlantTraps}

Find out more about Revenue Recovery 360 from Corsearch.