Alpine Hires Net Enforcers to Police the Internet October 9, 2003 -- Alpine Electronics of America announced that it has hired Net Enforcers Inc. to police the Internet on its behalf as part of a stepped-up effort to combat unauthorized sales and transshipping of its mobile electronics products. The initiative is designed to protect and support Alpine's authorized dealer network and to defend the Alpine brand and trademarks from misuse. Net Enforcers focuses on online auction sites and Websites that are not authorized to sell Alpine products and through its enforcement department, has the ability to take down those sites if an intellectual property violation has occurred. Alpine intends to prosecute those engaging in unauthorized sales of its products to the fullest extent possible. In the case of transshipping of product, Alpine will take all necessary action afforded by its dealer agreement, including but not limited to termination of a company's right to operate as an Alpine authorized dealer. Alpine has already taken action on several infringements since partnering with Net Enforcers last month. "Since its inception, Alpine has had very stringent policies to control the distribution of its products and protect its premium brand image," said Steve Witt, Alpine's vice president of brand marketing. "Through this coordinated initiative with Net Enforcers, Alpine is taking a strong stance to protect both its retail partners and consumers who may unknowingly purchase an Alpine product from an unauthorized source. "The bottom line for Alpine is customer satisfaction and we believe strongly that manufacturers and retailers must be synchronized to deliver the premium value and satisfaction that consumers associate with our brand," he continued. "We will continue to fiercely protect our brand and our dealers by any means necessary."
