Amplifying Brand Protection: How a Global Music Brand Scaled Enforcement

For big names in the music industry, protecting IP extends far beyond the music - it also requires defending the brand's merchandising rights across a sprawling digital landscape. 

A long-standing Corsearch partner in the music vertical recently leveled up their Brand Protection strategy by upgrading to our Zeal 2.0 technology, which goes beyond legacy Brand Protection tools as a fundamentally AI-native solution. 

Zeal 2.0 is designed to actively hunt down sophisticated, AI-generated fake listings that bad actors create to evade traditional detection methods.

By transitioning to an enforcement-capacity model and leveraging Corsearch’s Revenue Recovery 360 solution, the client was able to scale global takedowns to 3,000 and have recovered $282,000 in lost revenue to date. 

The Threat Landscape in the Music Industry

The modern music industry faces a unique and escalating threat landscape which traditional Brand Protection methods often struggle to keep pace with.  

While physical media piracy remains a concern, one of the biggest threats to brand revenue and fan trust is the explosion of unauthorized merchandise.

Counterfeiters exploit the hype around tours, album releases, and trending artists by flooding global marketplaces with illicit ready-to-print apparel and accessories. 

Because these bad actors distribute their listings across a massive network of platforms - from niche print-on-demand sites to major online platforms - brands often struggle to maintain visibility and enforce their rights at scale. 

Without a dynamic, high-capacity enforcement strategy, these fragmented threats can quickly escalate into lost revenue.

Building a future-proofed Brand Protection program

To stay ahead of these industry-wide challenges, our client expanded their cooperation with Corsearch. 

They defined four key objectives for the next phase of their Brand Protection program:

1. Target high-value infringements: Refocus enforcement efforts strictly on high-impact merchandise and ready-to-print listings, specifically excluding physical media (vinyl, CDs, cassettes).
   
   
2. Expand platform coverage: Move beyond isolated, heavily targeted platforms to capture high volumes of illicit listings across a broader range of global marketplaces, particularly in North America.
   
   
3. Scale without constraints: Transition from an hours-based operational model to a flexible, capacity-based enforcement model to maximize takedown volume.
   
   
4. Real ROI: Not only remove illicit listings, but actively penalize bad actors and recuperate lost revenue consistently and at scale.

Leveling Up with Zeal 2.0

To meet these goals, Corsearch guided the client through a strategic upgrade from our foundational Zero platform to our AI-native solution, Zeal 2.0. 

This migration was designed not just as a software update, but as a complete leveling up of their enforcement capabilities through new and advanced features.

Transitioning to Enforcement Capacity

By shifting the focus from operational hours to overall enforcement capacity, it allowed our analysts to cast a much wider net. 

Rather than spending time hunting complex, alternate links on single platforms, our team utilized Zeal 2.0 to efficiently sweep multiple platforms, including a massive expansion on major online platforms in North America, capturing highly visible and illicit merchandise. 

Within the first 60 days of implementing Zeal 2.0 Corsearch made over 10,000 enforcements with more than 3,000 takedowns of counterfeit listings, including counterfeit merchandise. 

A Unified Ecosystem Approach

Recognizing that takedowns are only one piece of the puzzle, the client also integrated Corsearch’s Revenue Recovery 360 program into their strategy. 

This parallel approach ensures that while Zeal 2.0 keeps digital marketplaces clean, our Revenue Recovery 360 service strategically pursues the financial assets of the counterfeiters through Schedule A litigation. 

Rapid Results and Lasting Impact

Because of the client's long-term cooperation and established trust with Corsearch, the migration yielded immediate returns. 

The impact of this strategic shift was realized almost instantly, generating massive returns within the first 60 days following the upgrade:

Conclusion

By treating Brand Protection as a dynamic, scalable ecosystem, this major music brand has proven that rightsholders don't have to settle for the status quo. 

Through the rapid deployment of Zeal 2.0 and the financial impact of the Revenue Recovery 360 program, Corsearch has empowered our client to protect their fans, secure their merchandising revenue, and to outpace the counterfeit market.

Speak to Corsearch today to find out how we protect the world's most valuable brands and help to recover lost revenue.