ACID’s recent lunchtime learning webinar with SnapDragon Monitoring was a timely reminder of the threats to brands and designers online, especially as we enter one of the busiest periods of the year; not least because of the rise in AI data scraping causing much concern amongst the design community. In March this year, ACID posted a very concerning story on behalf of Anna Fine Jewellery, a member who discovered images of her beautiful jewellery designs for sale on a website without her knowledge or consent. When Anna placed an order to find out what would happen, the answer was simply this…nothing happened. Not only does this kind of activity place a brand at risk of reputational damage but imagery is being used without consent or knowledge of the owner. This is just one story of what ACID members and the design community face, so, if you missed the webinar, here’s how you can best protect your brand online should you ever encounter the worst.

The big issue: AI-Enabled Online Brand Abuse

GenAI is making brand imitation, fraudulent websites and misuse of creative assets faster, cheaper, more convincing and scalable, creating risks for designers beyond traditional counterfeiting. AI enables bad actors to reproduce or transform imagery, creative assets, brand identity and reputation quickly and at scale. The risk therefore extends beyond copying a product or image to the rapid creation of convincing impersonations and manipulated brand experiences. Research indicates that more than 580 new malicious AI-generated websites are created daily, that Gen Digital blocked more than 140,000 AI-generated scam sites in the first half of 2025, and that a 2026 study estimated over a third of newly published websites are entirely AI-generated or AI-assisted.

Why are design-led businesses in particular so vulnerable?

Design-led businesses’ websites combine brand identity, creative assets, product value and customer trust, all of which can now be convincingly replicated across the same channels used by legitimate brands.

• Convincing Replication: Fraudulent sites are no longer reliably identifiable through poor branding, unnatural language or incomplete customer journeys. Infringers can replicate visual identity, product presentation, tone of voice, checkout processes and after-sales communications.
• Commercial Impact: Copycat activity can divert sales, confuse customers, damage reputation and erode the value that a brand has built. The harm can occur throughout the customer journey, from discovery through consideration and purchase.
• Commercial Pressure Points: Risk increases around product launches, limited editions, capsule collections, collaborations, promotional campaigns and the festive trading period. Urgency, scarcity and increased demand can reduce customer scrutiny and make fraudulent traffic more effective.
• Smart Phone Scrolling: Customers increasingly encounter brands through mobile devices, social posts, adverts and search results. Small domain differences can go unnoticed on smaller screens, particularly when a cloned site looks visually authentic.

Online infringements are now a multi-faceted operation; fraudulent domains, websites, advertisements, social profiles and direct messages commonly operate as a coordinated campaign to attract consumers, capture data or divert revenue, so brands now need to be aware of the full threat package rather than one isolated site.

Why are these websites set up and what are they designed to do?

Fraudulent websites typically seek to steal personal, login or payment information, divert legitimate brand revenue through counterfeit or poor-quality products, or monetise branded traffic through advertising, affiliate links and ad clicks.

• Connected Channels: A domain may host a phishing page, be promoted through paid search, be supported by a fake social profile and then be distributed through direct messages or messaging applications. Activity may also involve marketplaces, social advertising, email and search advertising.
• Domain Abuse Types: Domain abuse can involve brand-mimicking domains, typo-squatting through altered characters or extensions, and cyber-squatting through bad-faith registration of brand, trademark or campaign names. Dormant domains still require monitoring because they can become active suddenly.

What can designers do to protect themselves online?

Firstly, designers should establish clear ownership and response procedures, select enforcement routes based on the type of abuse, use AI-enabled monitoring and educate customers so threats are detected earlier and acted upon consistently.

• Clarify Internal Ownership: responsibility for monitoring online platforms and brand mentions, assessing whether activity is misleading or commercially damaging, capturing evidence, making reports and escalating repeat offenders will enable a swift response to brand protection and clarify what happens when a threat is identified.
• Consider Enforcement Routes: The appropriate response depends on the infringement. Registrar action may address domains used for fraud or impersonation; hosting-provider takedowns may help with live copycat sites; UDRP or other domain-dispute procedures may be appropriate in some cases, although they can be costly. Evidence should be captured quickly and the relevant host, registrar or other party identified before escalating to legal action where necessary.
• Make AI work for you: AI-powered monitoring can identify suspicious domain registrations, misuse of branded keywords, lookalike landing pages, copied web content, fraudulent paid advertisements, social promotion, stolen imagery and marketplace activity. Its advantages are speed, broad coverage and pattern recognition across channels.
• Harness the power of your Customer base: Brands can publish authorised seller information, explain where and how they sell, warn customers about common scams and identify appropriate authenticity indicators without revealing sensitive trade information. A clear support process should help customers who may have been misled. Equally, Brands should make it easy for customers to report suspicious websites, profiles, advertisements or imagery, including through social media. Customer reports can provide early visibility of abuse and enable faster investigation and enforcement.

ACID are here to help!

The new Member of ACID image watermark is designed for use across social media, websites, portfolios and online marketplaces to identify work, reinforce ownership, deter unauthorised use and demonstrate the creator’s commitment to IP protection. Moreover. ACID members receive a free initial brand check with Snapdragon Monitoring and a 15% discount.

What are the key takeaways?

• Think beyond the produce
• Think beyond the website
• Be proactive
• Use technology to your advantage
• Harness the power of your customers

Watch the full webinar recording:

Find out how to start your anti-copying journey today. Contact [email protected] for more information.

With thanks to SnapDragon Monitoring for their expertise and insightful webinar.