Brand Name Squatting On Social Networks

By Author: martin rose
Total Articles: 6
Comment this article

Social networks have come out as an effective medium for promoting business brands. Business owners are taking an advantage of social networks for promoting brands. For creating a social presence, business owners are making professional brand profiles for their business on social networking platforms. As are the associate advantages so are the problems.
Brand squatting, brand dilution, devaluation, illicit usage of brand, false or inappropriate brand associations are a few common problems seen with the brands. This destroys the brand image in the market. Current and potential consumers will see your brand name with illegal associations and the brand will lose its credibility. Consumers will starts giving negative feedback and comments regarding brand name. Brand name squatting on social networks has come out as a major problem for business brands.
Brand squatters are the companies or individuals who make use of other’s company brand name either for promoting their own business brand or selling the brand name for cash exchange. Brand squatters go for brands which are popular ...
... amongst the social networking platforms. Brand squatters occupy famous brands as they allow for gaining market easily. Now the thing is how to protect your brand from brand squatters.
Usernames on the social networking platforms are served on first come basis. So, if you have not registered with the social networking platforms it may be possible that your username is already occupied by someone else with your brand name. First of all, check username availability on the networking sites. If the search result does not match your criteria, it means that your brand name and username is not occupied and in this case you should claim it immediately. Even if you do not want to use those sites for your business still register with them so that no one else such as a brand squatter or jacker will occupy it.
If you find that your brand name is engaged with so many users and already occupied, do not worry! Appeal to the squatter to leave it immediately by claiming your brand name. If the squatter denies, ask the networking site regarding the illicit usage of your brand by some squatter. The imposters will be identified and banned. They will block the account for using it against the Terms of Service of sites. Still if there is no response from the social networking site or if the squatter asks for money in exchange for leaving the account, go for a legal proceeding for claiming yourself as the brand owner.
As a brand owner, the owner also needs to put efforts for brand protection on social networks. Create awareness on the social networks regarding your brand name. Claim brand and username which may appear helpful in future or are prone for squatting. Usernames which looks similar in brand name and username of the business should also be claimed so that they do not become a potential risk for the current brand.
So, as long as you own all the rights of brand name, you have a claim on it and you can go for legal proceeding if someone is damaging your brand name with unauthorized usage.