Quality Check Logo Abuse & Misleading Content
20 Jun 2013
Every day, we see all over the web an increasing number of schools and kiteboarder instructors who claim they are IKO Affiliated Schools/Centers and/or IKO Instructors. To increase the value of IKO Affiliation for its members, the IKO has started a campaign to fight against those using the IKO Logo without authorization and providing misleading content in relation to the IKO. We accomplish this using DMCA.com, an online tool that searches the web on a daily basis for infringement of logo and copyrighted information.
LOGO ABUSE by definition is unauthorized usage or disfigurement of a company’s most prominent symbols. It is easy to do. Yet, logo abuse can lead to considerable brand dilution or harm. IKO considers logo abuse as any persons or organizations using the IKO Logo without authorization. This includes the use of all IKO Logos including the IKO Affiliated Center Logo and IKO Instructor Logo. If an IKO Logo is found on any web page without authorization, it is considered wrongful use of the IKO brand and is infringing upon the right of the IKO brand. Violations of the IKO brand are considered any instructors or centers that use the IKO logo whereby their membership has expired, they do not comply with the IKO Standards, and/or are non IKO Affiliated. To fight against this, IKO procured the service DMCA.com. DMCA.com works by enforcing two laws enacted to protect online material, called DMCA.
DMCA however does create a safe harbor for online service providers (OSPs), which extend to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), from copyright infringement liability provided they meet specific requirements. OSPs must adhere to and qualify for certain prescribed safe harbor guidelines and promptly block access to alleged infringing material or remove such material from their systems when they receive notification of an infringement claim from a copyright holder or the copyright holder's agent. Also, there is a provision that includes a counter notification provision offering OSPs safe harbor from liability to their users when users claim that the material in question is not, in fact, infringing. DMCA.com also facilitates issuing subpoenas for OSPs to provide their users' identities.
As we all know, Schools that are IKO Affiliated meet IKO Standards and are differentiated in the global kiteboarder community. Because of this, the IKO Logo and copyrighted materials becomes targeted for theft by non-IKO schools and instructors so that they can increase their sales and profit by using our name.
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We would like to have zero logo and copyright abuse by the end of summer. This is why we would like to invite you to help us reach our goal, which will also help us give more value to your Affiliated School. To help us reach this goal and get more value to your IKO School, please report any logo abuse you see by emailing [email protected]. You can verify if a school is IKO Affiliated by checking to see if they are on our Affiliated Center list. |
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