By Paul F. Nunes and Narendra P. Mulani.

Ruffin CEO Bill Bronson is on a mission. Counterfeits of his company’s adventure gear and clothing are on the rise, and Bronson is hell-bent on stopping them. He has hired top-notch investigators to track down the criminals, invested in technology that will help distinguish his products from look-alikes, and pushed onlinevendors to stop selling fakes. All of that has cost a lot money, however, and the problem seems to be getting worse. How far should Bronson take his campaign ?

Giorgio Brandazza, a professor at SDA Bocconi School of Management, fought a similsr battle as an executive at Calvin Klein. He advises Ruffin to mitigate the effects of copycats by building up the company should increase its retail presence in countries where it is plagued by fakes. Single brand stroes will allow Ruffin to guarantee customers they’re getting authentic goods, showcase its products in distinctive ways, and build strong relationships with consumers.

J. Merrick “Risk” Taggart president of Victorinox Swiss Army in North America, recommends zeroing in on the worst counterfeiting offenders. A resource Ruffin should take advantage of, he says, is customers and border patrol officers, if the company frequently communicates with them about ports of entry and consignee consignor data, these officials can more easily sniff out illegal activity.

The foundation for any good defense against counterfeiters, say Candace S. Cummings, general counsel of VF Corporation, is instituting tight controls over the company’s supply chain and distribution process. That means, among other things, choosing manufacturing parteners carefully and having strict contracts with distribution parters that, for example, prohibit products from going anywhere but outlets the company trusts.

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