Protect Your Brands at the Border - IP Rights & Customs Enforcement

Introduction

Are your clients' brands vulnerable to counterfeit goods flooding into the UK market?

Counterfeiting is big business. Counterfeits threaten consumer safety, damage brand trust and often fund crime. Without proper customs protection in place, fake products bearing your clients' trade marks and designs can enter the country undetected, eroding brand value and potentially exposing consumers to dangerous products.

The Application for Action (‘AFA’) system instructs Border Force to detain goods suspected of infringing a range of IP rights, particularly trade marks and designs, and provides information to Border Force on how to identify genuine versus counterfeit products. This powerful enforcement mechanism offers legal practitioners and brand owners a proactive, cost-effective way to protect intellectual property at the UK border.

In today's global marketplace, understanding customs enforcement is no longer optional, it is essential. As a solicitor, barrister, in-house counsel, or brand manager, knowing when and how to deploy customs recordals can be crucial in protecting your clients' trade marks, designs, and brand reputation.

This webinar will equip you with the knowledge and strategies needed to:

• Understand why recording IP rights at customs is critical for brand protection
• Identify the consequences of failing to implement customs enforcement measures
• Navigate the AFA filing process with confidence
• Advise clients on preparing effective brand protection guides
• Manage seizures and enforcement actions efficiently

Register now to stay ahead of the curve and ensure you are fully prepared to protect your clients' brands from counterfeit imports.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• Understanding the AFA system - what it is, how it works, and why recording your IP rights at customs is essential for effective brand protection
• The commercial and legal imperatives - understanding the scale of counterfeiting, the threats to consumer safety, damage to brand trust, and links to organised crime
• Consequences of non-action - the risks brands face when they fail to record IP rights at customs, including undetected counterfeit imports and missed enforcement opportunities
• Filing requirements and timelines - when and how to file an AFA, including the requirement to file at least 30 working days before the monitoring period starts or before infringing goods are expected
• Internal workflow and responsibilities - who does what in the AFA filing process, from fee earner preparation to administrative filing
• Essential documentation - preparing powers of attorney, enforcement guides, IP rights extracts, filing instructions, and detailed trade mark descriptions
• Creating effective brand guidelines - how to document features of genuine and counterfeit products, authorised supply chains, means of transport, and known infringer information
• Technical filing considerations - contact information, restricted handling options, small consignments procedures, file size requirements, and relying on registered rights
• Maintaining your AFA - renewal and refiling procedures, updating HMRC about renewed rights, and managing deadlines
• Customs training days
• Managing seizures
• Practical case examples

This pre-recorded webinar will be available to view from Monday 3rd August 2026

Alternatively, you can gain access to this webinar and 2,300+ others via the MBL Webinar Subscription. Please email webinarsubscription@mblseminars.com for more details.