Baggs: Leaving Wiggin
An online brand protection provider spun out of leading media law firm Wiggin has been sold to a company which helps brands manage their intellectual property (IP) globally.
Incopro was established in 2012 by Wiggin partner Simon Baggs to use technology to help brands and IP owners tackle counterfeiting and IP abuse.
It has grown from three staff working in Wiggin’s London office to over 200 employees in London, Cardiff, Los Angeles, Boise (USA) and Shanghai, with Mr Baggs as its chief executive.
Incopro – which raised £16m in Series A investment [1] in May 2018 – has been bought by Corsearch, which works with brands and lawyers to manage IP from clearance to protection.
Incopro’s main product, Talisman, monitors IP infringements by scouring all corners of the internet in real time using machine-learning technology, pulling in data from platforms ranging from online marketplaces and social media through to websites and app stores.
The company now protects over 750 global brands online, including Mondelēz International, Reckitt, Unilever, Superdry and Brother International.
It is one of a series of ancillary businesses created by Wiggin, the Cheltenham and London-based alternative business structure.
Other ventures include Cirkus, Curio and Kritic, subscription video-on-demand services for the Nordic countries and Germany; Viewfinder, which provides executive producer advisory services to producers and film and television rights-holders; Overmorrow, a strategic advisory group focused exclusively on media, technology and brands; and Reviewed & Cleared, a law firm that provides pre-publication and pre-broadcast legal advice.
Wiggin chief executive John Banister said: “At Wiggin we are phenomenally proud of our entrepreneurial spirit and endeavours; we have several spin-off businesses which go far beyond providing legal expertise, of which Incopro is a great example.
“We are thrilled that Corsearch recognises the value of Incopro’s technology and offering in protecting brands online.”
Mr Baggs is leaving Wiggin to join Corsearch. He said: “A commitment to the fundamental importance of protecting the intellectual property rights of innovative and creative companies is a huge part of what makes Wiggin such a special law firm.
“The innovative mindset of the firm has enabled me to pursue and develop Incopro and its technology – to offer so many global brands and IP owners support and protection online.”
Corsearch said adding the Incopro team to its “worldwide network of analysts, developers and investigators” would ensure that its “effectiveness against brand erosion in every market will be further strengthened”.