How Miraculous Corp Fought Online Counterfeiting in the Entertainment Industry

A joint-venture between Mediawan and ZAG, Miraculous Corp is a trailblazer in the entertainment industry, widely renowned for the quality and innovation of its animated series. Beyond its creative excellence, the company is also recognized for its meticulous attention to the quality of the licensed products it offers across global markets, ensuring that fans receive only the best official merchandise.

As the driving force behind the globally acclaimed Miraculous franchise, the company faced an increasing challenge from counterfeit products, particularly online.

These counterfeiters posed significant risks to brand reputation, consumer trust, and partnerships, while also impacting revenue — and Miraculous Corp sought a robust and adaptable solution to counter the growing threat of counterfeiting.

The challenge

Their challenges with counterfeits online

Before partnering with Navee (now part of Corsearch), Miraculous Corp had already achieved impressive results with its existing counterfeit detection system, which primarily relied on keyword identification. However, in their continuous effort to better protect their consumers, they recognized the need to overcome certain limitations. As counterfeiters became increasingly adept at bypassing keyword-based methods, it became clear that a more advanced solution — incorporating image analysis alongside keyword detection — was essential to stay ahead of these evolving threats.

Additionally, as Miraculous Corp continued to expand, there was a growing need to develop more industry-specific processes, especially within the entertainment and licensing sectors. This included the requirement for a comprehensive image database to catalog official visuals and track commonly counterfeited images, as well as enhancing the accuracy of reporting to streamline operations.

When Matteo Amerio, President, Brand & Content Protection at Corsearch (previously CEO at Navee), introduced the platform’s capabilities — especially the innovative “magic pill” feature, which enables the detection of similar counterfeit images across the web with just a click of a button — it became evident that Product Monitor (now Corsearch Zeal 2.0) offered the advanced tools and flexibility needed to meet these evolving requirements. This technology proved to be the perfect fit for Miraculous Corp’s unique needs, making it the ideal partner for the next phase of their brand protection journey.

Key pain points for Miraculous Corp that required immediate tending

• Counterfeit detection: Absence of a sophisticated detection system that could analyze images in addition to keywords for identifying counterfeit products.
• Industry-specific needs: The necessity for a solution that could adapt to the unique demands of the licensing market within the entertainment industry.
• Image database: Inadequate infrastructure for organizing official imagery and tracking the most commonly used counterfeit images online.
• Reporting & data accuracy: Excessive time expenditure on reporting due to the lack of a reliable system capable of delivering data with minimal errors.

The big move toward complete brand protection made easy

The decision to transition was based on multiple key factors. Not only did our advanced image detection technology offer a highly effective solution for identifying counterfeit products, but we also provided the flexibility and agility needed to adapt both the tool and the team to the specific demands of the licensing industry.

A game-changing and ever-improving anti-counterfeit solution

Aware of brand protection schemas in place online, counterfeiters are skilled at finding ways to bypass these measures. Common workarounds include avoiding the use of trademarks or intentional spelling errors, the substitution of characters, and the use of spacing.

Consider this scenario: Miraculous Corp’s popular series, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, has an official Fashion Doll Cat Noir that might be listed under altered names like ‘C4t N01R’ or more ambiguous titles such as ‘kids cat doll figurine tv show’ in product listings. These subtle name changes are often used to evade established online anti-counterfeiting measures.

Our proprietary solution tackles this issue head-on by systematically crawling all possible combinations of keywords, even amidst character substitutions. Continuous generation and testing of new keywords are also done to stay ahead and leave counterfeiters scratching their heads. This thorough approach ensures that variations like “C4t N01R” do not exploit loopholes, effectively safeguarding the integrity of official merchandise listings and avoiding any potential gaps in protection.

And yet, relying solely on keyword detection does not suffice for complete brand protection — and the team at Miraculous Corp knows this all too well. Our AI-powered image intelligence solution actively scours the web, scraping marketplaces, social media platforms, and standalone websites — all possible places where unknowing consumers can be duped by seemingly authentic Miraculous franchise merchandise.

Through the usage of semi-exact image-matching technology, our solution is proven to outperform most competitors in the market through its ability to tag images as suspicious even with the slightest of modifications in rotation, cropping, and other alterations.

Moreover, what worked wonders for the team at Miraculous Corp was a feature that simplified the process of finding similar counterfeit images across the internet with the “magic pill” button in the platform demonstrated by Matteo.

The solution

What exactly made this the “A-ha” moment for them?

The solution’s ability to unveil entire networks of counterfeit listings and sellers across the internet proved to be vital for Miraculous Corp as links and connections could be made and new data could be unearthed and then analyzed — such as common counterfeit image elements.

Furthermore, the Customer Success team also ensures that these findings are documented and presented effectively. This streamlined process led to quicker action and efficient takedowns, with listings automatically reported and quickly removed once flagged as counterfeit. Our partnerships with e-commerce platforms and marketplaces further bolstered these efforts, ensuring compliance across the web.

This is also where adaptability comes in — both in the technology itself and in its problem-solving-oriented product team. With Miraculous Corp having a vast range of official products from said figurines, toys, and collectibles, to clothing and jewelry, a versatile and scalable solution that was image-based was necessary to ensure that these products, no matter which product category, were well taken care of.

A common process the team follows is ensuring the needs of a client are thoroughly understood. This is confirmed by a demo session with the client to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. This session is designed to demonstrate the technology’s capabilities and how it aligns with the brand’s specific needs, pain points, and priorities.

Throughout onboarding, the client maintains close communication with our product team to ensure that the solution effectively addresses the brand’s unique requirements and challenges. In this case, Miraculous Corp’s concerns regarding various key product categories and their positioning within the entertainment industry were thoughtfully considered.

“Navee [now part of Corsearch] has been an indispensable partner, providing exceptional service beyond their advanced image detection technology. They help us detect, report, and enforce thousands of listings monthly, protecting our IP, brand integrity, and partners’ licensed products. Their tech team and brand team are highly responsive and adaptable to our industry’s unique needs, delivering tailored solutions with unwavering support.”

Christophe Vallade, Global Ecommerce, Miraculous Corp

Distinctive edge: What made the difference

We asked Christophe what made our solutions stand out from the competition and the top reasons why Miraculous Corp chose us as their brand protection partner:

The technology

Our cutting-edge image recognition technology, powered by AI, offered unparalleled accuracy in detecting counterfeits. This capability proved critical for identifying subtle differences between authentic and counterfeit images, providing a robust solution tailored to the unique demands of the entertainment industry.

A focus on innovation

Our dynamic culture fosters rapid innovation and agility, enabling the company to quickly adapt solutions to meet client needs. This flexibility was instrumental in addressing the specific challenges faced by Miraculous Corp, ensuring that the solutions provided were both effective and timely.

Streamlined workflows and a shift to more strategic work

Better processes are brought about by collaborative efforts. Prompt solutions and accurate data have streamlined Miraculous Corp’s workflow, enabling them to focus on more value-driven initiatives. A key highlight was the swift and effective implementation of the image database, which was greatly supported by Effy, an account executive.

In client-facing work, technical expertise is essential, but strong human relations and effective communication are equally critical to ensuring a smooth collaboration. Miraculous Corp specifically acknowledged Effy’s dedication, noting that her efforts did not go unnoticed.

Since adopting our solution, Miraculous Corp has seen several key benefits. Increased trust in the technology has led to more frequent use of the platform. The efficiency of the system has resulted in significant time savings in reporting, enforcement, and moderation, allowing the team to engage in more strategic work rather than manual enforcement and reporting.

Additionally, the ability to detect counterfeit sales not only in marketplaces but in standalone or e-commerce websites has stabilized key product categories for Miraculous Corp worldwide.

A meaningful collaboration

Miraculous Corp views this relationship as a valuable partnership. The user-friendly platform and dedicated account team have created a supportive and responsive environment for easy back-and-forth communication. Custom views for counterfeit validation and a commitment to finding solutions have made Navee/Corsearch an indispensable partner.

Miraculous Corp’s positive experience encourages them to recommend Navee/Corsearch — and for brands to discover the substantial benefits that come with an AI-powered solution.

A brand protection solution fit for any industry

On a final note, it’s important to recognize that counterfeiters are relentless in their pursuits. They do not discriminate by industry; whether it’s luxury goods or everyday items, anywhere there is potential for profit, counterfeiters will attempt to carve out a share for themselves.

This pervasive threat means that no brand, regardless of its market or industry, is immune to the risks posed by counterfeit activities. Brands need to be vigilant and proactive in protecting their intellectual property and reputation.

If you represent a brand and are concerned about safeguarding the integrity and security of your products, it’s crucial to act before any damage is done. Talk to one of our experts to discover how Corsearch’s innovative solutions offer robust protection tailored to your specific needs. Our advanced technology and dedicated problem-solving team are ready to safeguard your brand against counterfeiters, ensuring that your revenue and reputation remain uncompromised.

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