ROCHESTER, N.Y., April 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Document Security Systems, Inc. (NYSE American: DSS), ("DSS"), a leader in anti-counterfeit, authentication, and diversion protection technologies, announced today that it has signed an agreement with Market Defense, LLC (“Market Defense”), an online brand protection specialist that fully-manages a brand’s Amazon marketplace, including the identification and elimination of product diversion, counterfeit products and unauthorized distributors.
With a portfolio of world-class solutions, Market Defense, LLC protects, defends and expands a brand’s business on the Amazon platform by more efficiently managing their Amazon listings and facilitating the takedown of infringing or fraudulent product. While a tremendous amount of success has come from working with “Prestige Beauty” products, Market Defense is proficient among all product categories by providing services such as:
- Counterfeit/brand protection
- Enforcing and monitoring pricing/reseller policies
- Removing unauthorized sellers
- Fighting gray market diverters
- Protecting trademarks and IP
- Listing optimization
- Inventory management
- Improving online reputation & visibility
- Analyzing competition
- Increasing sales with marketing strategies
The Amazon Marketplace, which is made up of over 2.5 million independent merchants with goods for sale, accounted for approximately $175.0 billion in revenue, representing over 68% of Amazon’s total 2018 sales, according to e-commerce intelligence firm Marketplace Pulse. In a recent regulatory filing, for the first time, Amazon warned investors that one of the biggest problems facing its online marketplace was counterfeit products.
Amazon merchants are facing an increased threat from counterfeiters who undercut prices for authentic products and try to hijack product listings. As a result, some brands have stopped selling on Amazon altogether.
“Our partnership with Market Defense fits perfectly with our overall strategy of protecting brand owners and consumers from the inevitable damage cause by counterfeit and diverted products,” stated Mike Buell, VP of Sales & Marketing at DSS. “Online sales are a major source of counterfeiting. By combining our authentication tools and their expertise managing a brand’s Amazon channel, we offer an effective combination of technology and process management that identifies and remediates the fraud threat,” added Buell.
“DSS brings a powerful set of game-changing tools our brands are looking for to help control online diversion, counterfeiting and, ultimately, protect their equity,” said Chad Annis, founder and CEO of Market Defense. “With AuthentiGuard technology, our clients no longer have to rely solely on each online channel to respond to our inquiries and remove illegal or offending gray marketers.”
“This relationship provides our brand partners, some of which are Fortune 100 companies, access to both internal and external methods to police and control their products, from manufacturer to end-user, insuring that the customer receives the quality, warranty and full benefit intended of genuine products. In a world where retail distribution and supply channels are experiencing continuous change, DSS offers a seamless, unobtrusive, and very affordable method of defeating counterfeiters and gray market sellers. We feel it is a brilliant solution,” added Annis.
ABOUT DOCUMENT SECURITY SYSTEMS, INC.
For over 16 years, Document Security Systems, Inc. (“DSS”) has protected corporations, financial institutions, and governments from sophisticated and costly fraud. DSS' innovative anti-counterfeit, authentication, and brand protection solutions are deployed to prevent attacks which threaten products, digital presence, financial instruments, and identification. AuthentiGuard™, the Company's flagship product, provides authentication capability through a smartphone application so businesses can empower a wide range of employees, supply chain personnel, and consumers to track their brands and verify authenticity. For more information on DSS, visit www.dsssecure.com.
ABOUT MARKET DEFENSE, LLC
Market Defense, based in Ashville, NC specializes is protecting brands against online diversion within the Amazon marketplace. The Company proven experience returns confidence, control and margin back to its brand partners through highly aligned solutions, insights and innovations that are designed to fully manage the Amazon marketplace and beyond. The Company’s expert solutions include online brand protection, removal of unauthorized sellers, account and inventory management, Amazon marketing strategies and data analysis. For more information visit www.MarketDefense.com.
Contact Information:
Document Security Systems, Inc.
Investor Relations
Tel: (585) 232-5440
Email: ir@dsssecure.com
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Forward-looking statements that may be contained in this press release, including, without limitation, statements related to the Company’s plans, strategies, objectives, expectations, potential value, intentions and adequacy of resources, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act and contain words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends” and similar words and phrases. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected in any forward-looking statement. In addition to the factors specifically noted in the forward-looking statements, other important factors, risks and uncertainties that could result in those differences include, but are not limited to, our ability to continue the growth in sales of AuthentiGuard and manage our expenses, as well as those risks disclosed in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019. Forward-looking statements that may be contained in this press release are being made as of the date of its release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements.
