Brand Protection & Anti‑Counterfeiting trends for 2026: What brands need to know
Counterfeiters have never been more organised, more tech‑savvy, or quicker to adapt. They now operate across marketplaces, social media, domains, live‑shopping platforms and even paid advertising — often moving faster than legitimate businesses can respond. As brands continue to build their digital presence, fraudsters are using the same channels, the same tools, and in many cases the same technologies.
To help our clients prepare for what’s next, we’ve pulled together a set of insights from our partners and combined them with the issues we’re seeing every day. The result isn’t a technical deep‑dive — it’s a practical look at what’s happening right now, why it matters, and what brands should be paying attention to as we head into 2026.
1. Grey Markets & Anti‑Counterfeiting: How Investigations Fight Back
Counterfeiters aren’t operating in isolated pockets anymore. They’ve built systems that combine offline manufacturing, warehouse networks, insider access and cross‑border logistics with online tactics such as fake stores, misleading ads, and cloned social media profiles.
This creates hybrid schemes that are very difficult for brands to trace — especially when most early warning signs only appear online.
Why it matters
For IP, brand protection and legal teams, the message is clear: purely online enforcement is no longer enough. Some of the most effective actions now come from combining digital monitoring with offline investigations such as test purchases, packaging analysis, retailer audits or supply‑chain tracing.
Key takeaways:
Counterfeiters now run joined‑up systems: offline production + online distribution.
Real protection requires both online and offline investigations working together.
2. Counterfeiting & Infringement Trends in Chinese Ecommerce
China remains the world’s largest ecommerce environment — and counterfeiters know how to use it well. Platforms like Douyin, Kuaishou, Taobao and JD have made major improvements to enforcement, but scammers have adapted through:
Highly convincing “Superfakes” with 95%+ similarity
Influencer‑led sales channels
Rapid listing turnover
Live‑stream driven product launches
The result is a fast‑moving landscape that demands constant attention.
Why it matters
Nearly half of global ecommerce activity takes place in China. If brands don’t understand the patterns emerging in these ecosystems — especially in livestream commerce — they’re reacting too late.
Key takeaways:
Live‑stream platforms have seen a major year‑on‑year increase in counterfeit reports.
Platform enforcement is improving, but sophisticated infringements still get through.
3. Leaked Releases: Don’t Let Anyone Steal Your Thunder
Product leaks have always been frustrating, but they’re now becoming a direct brand‑protection issue. Leaks spread through Reddit, Discord, Telegram channels and private group chats long before a product officially launches — and in some cases, counterfeit versions appear before the genuine item hits the market.
This article breaks down how leaks happen: from early speculation and internal access breaches to external cyberattacks that reveal product details, designs or launch dates.
Why it matters
A strong launch window can shape the entire lifecycle of a product. Leaks don’t just spoil the surprise — they speed up counterfeit production, undermine marketing plans and damage long‑term brand equity.
Key takeaways:
Leaks can originate internally or externally, requiring different mitigation strategies.
Discord and similar platforms allow leak content to spread at incredible speed.
4. TikTok Ads & Instagram Threads: Impersonations on Social Media
Social impersonation has evolved far beyond fake profiles. On TikTok and Threads, scammers now run:
Fake video ads using stolen brand content
Fraudulent TikTok Shop listings
Counterfeit storefronts posing as authorised sellers
Imposter accounts claiming to be customer support
Ads that drive users straight to phishing pages or fake shops
Because these platforms are growing faster than their enforcement tools, scammers can reach huge audiences before brands even spot the activity.
Why it matters
Social commerce is now one of the most active environments for brand impersonation. And with many influencers still lacking trademark protection, scammers can hijack creator content just as easily.
Key takeaways:
TikTok ads are becoming a major vector for impersonation.
TikTok Shop’s rapid growth has created new loopholes for counterfeit storefronts.
5. How AI Helps Fake Websites & Fake Shops Trick Their Targets
Fake websites used to be easy to spot — poor grammar, mismatched colours, blurry photos. Not anymore.
With generative AI, scammers can now produce:
Professional‑looking storefronts
Highly convincing product images
Perfect multi‑language copy
Fake reviews
Entire branded sites in minutes
Many operate for short periods, collecting payments before disappearing and relaunching under a different domain.
Why it matters
AI‑powered fake shops are now sophisticated enough that even trained users struggle to distinguish them from legitimate sites. That makes real‑time monitoring, trademark enforcement and fast takedown processes more important than ever.
Key takeaways:
Generative AI allows fake sites to scale quickly and look highly authentic.
Because many disappear fast, monitoring and takedowns must move just as quickly.
Final Thoughts: What Brands Should Take Away
Across every insight and every platform, one theme keeps coming up: speed.
Counterfeiters move quickly.
Impersonation spreads quickly.
Fake websites launch quickly.
Leaks go viral quickly.
To keep pace, brands need:
Broader monitoring across all digital channels
Faster decision‑making processes internally
A coordinated approach involving legal, brand, ecommerce and security teams
Partners who can support both online and offline investigative work
The threat landscape isn’t slowing down — and neither should brand protection strategies.
All partner insights referenced in this article are used with permission from EBRAND. All original articles remain the property of their respective authors.