Client Case Study – Protecting EXEL Industries’ digital assets in an evolving threat landscape

Going far beyond domain name management, Gandi Corporate Services leverages its longstanding expertise to help leading organizations, including EXEL Industries, manage and protect their strategic digital assets.

Gandi Corporate Services delivers a comprehensive, tailored approach built around three core pillars: governance, strategy, and expert guidance.

The objective is clear: to ensure the long-term protection of brands’ online presence, proactively mitigate risks such as cybersquatting, brand abuse, and fraud, and optimize their digital strategy in alignment with their broader business objectives.

Discover the testimonial from Sandra Juillien of EXEL Industries, a Gandi Corporate Services client for the past 10 years.

Could you tell us what the role of a Senior Intellectual Property Counsel involves within a group like EXEL Industries?

My responsibilities range from managing, protecting, and enhancing the value of our IP portfolio to supporting, advising, and addressing the needs of operational teams across our subsidiaries, such as R&D departments, marketing teams, designers, sales staff, communications, and IT.

They also include providing contractual support through:

– The drafting

– The negotiation

– The review of agreements and contracts

But also preventing risks, managing pre-litigation and litigation matters, and raising awareness across teams by delivering training tailored to their specific needs.

What makes my role particularly unique is the diversity of the Group’s activities and the distinctive importance given to intellectual property within the organization. Historically, everything began with an invention, the first straddle tractor.

Innovation is therefore inseparable from EXEL Industries. It is part of the company’s DNA and deeply embedded in its culture.

As a result, my position is especially stimulating. It requires adapting both to the wide-ranging requests of stakeholders, each an expert in their own field, and to the specific characteristics of the markets involved.

What risks do the Group’s brands face, and in your view, what factors increase those risks? Before adopting a monitoring solution, had EXEL Industries been exposed to phishing or cybersquatting incidents?

A publicly listed group with a strong international presence and a recognized position across its various business lines is inevitably exposed. Counterfeiting, unfair competition, parasitic practices, typosquatting, cybersquatting, and ransomware all feed off brand awareness, market share, and the investments made.

Just as a counterfeiter has no interest in copying a brand that generates no value or is unknown to the public, unfair practices do not arise without the prospect of profit. Moreover, intellectual property rights are described as intangible assets precisely because they carry real economic value.

In this context, risks such as misappropriation, consumer confusion, and data theft, each of which can also damage reputation, are very real. As for phishing, in my view it is a kind of “weapon of mass opportunity,” targeting companies of all sizes, as well as public and private organizations and even individuals.

EXEL Industries is therefore as much a target as any other organization. However, being targeted does not necessarily mean being compromised. A clear understanding of the risks and the ability to anticipate them are what enable the development of an effective defensive,and even offensive, strategy.

EXEL Industries is as much a target as any other organization, but being targeted does not mean being compormised. – Sandra Juillien

When did you implement this monitoring system?
How did you decide which brands to monitor among all those owned by EXEL Industries?
Was this decision made following discussions with Gandi Corporate Services?

The monitoring system has been in place for several years. Given the size of our portfolio, the protection and enhancement of our assets must be approached holistically. So rather than focusing on which brands to monitor, the key issue is choosing the right tools and the appropriate legal frameworks.

Not all brands carry the same strategic weight. That said, they all need to be leveraged, just not necessarily using the same tools. The available means have evolved considerably over time, so the challenge is to apply the right instrument depending on the situation.

When it comes to monitoring alone, factors such as revenue generated, brand recognition in the market, or whether the brand name and company name are identical, where applicable, may naturally be among the criteria to consider. However, many other factors should not be overlooked.

As for our interactions with Gandi Corporate Services, they are very regular.
When selecting a provider, it is for their technical expertise and capabilities. They need to be better than you and help raise your standards, otherwise, the added value is limited. In that sense, Gandi Corporate Services is both listened to and actively involved, even though we remain the sole decision-makers. Dialogue and the exchange of perspectives are essential; they foster the emergence of new and creative solutions.

And since sound advice can only be given when based on complete information, I make a point of being transparent.

The dedicated team operates more as a natural extension of our department than as an external entity. We share the same objective. I expect them to be proactive, to demonstrate the same level of commitment as if they were part of the Group, and they fulfill this role perfectly, including the backup team when our dedicated account manager is on leave.

Providers are selected for their technical expertise and capabilities. They need to be better than you and help raise your standards […]. gandi Corporate Services is both listened to and actively involved. – Sandra Juillien

Does domain name monitoring complement other measures used to protect your trademarks?

Absolutely. As mentioned earlier, it is the combination of tools, both defensive and offensive, that ensures effective protection. Since domain names generally operate on a “first come, first served” basis (outside of sunrise periods), anticipation remains the key strategic principle. When you compare the average cost of registering a domain name with that of a UDRP or SYRELI proceeding, it quickly becomes clear that prevention is better than cure.

We therefore carry out defensive registrations, as well as domain blocking. Typographical reports, another available resource, are also highly valuable indicators in this regard.

Have you chosen to subscribe to our Gandi Corporate Services takedown service? If so, why?

We have subscribed to this service. It offers a compelling alternative to formal cease-and-desist notices and is often highly effective, enabling us to achieve rapid results and take down malicious websites in record time.

Yes, we have subscribed to this service. It is a valuable alternative to formal cease-and-desist letters, and one that is often extremely effective. It allows us to achieve rapid results and take down malicious websites in record time.

Given its deterrent effect and efficiency, it would be unwise for us not to make use.

Have the monitoring and takedown services helped you better understand the threats affecting EXEL Industries’ online brand presence, and have they led the Group to evolve its strategy for protecting its brands?

Our understanding of the threats was already fairly clear, but they are constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated. Fraud attempts that used to be easily spotted at a glance are now far less obvious and require greater attention and resources to detect.

In this context, using every available legal and strategic tool is essential. Beyond the risk itself, which must of course be assessed, it is also a matter of brand image and reputation. Inaction or a lack of anticipation sends a message in itself and can increase exposure. Agility is therefore critical.

Faced with this ongoing need for adjustment, we have been able to rely on suitable, enhanced tools. This approach, combining and layering different solutions, has allowed us to improve efficiency further by blending a global strategy with a more targeted, precision-based approach.

using every available legal and strategic tool is essential. […] inaction or a lack of anticipation sends a message in itself and can increase exposure. Agility is therefore critical. – Sandra Juillien

Our experts play a central role in this partnership. They do far more than handle technical operations: they advise, analyze, and co-develop strategies alongside clients, tailored to their business challenges and competitive environment

Each company thus benefits from a personalized, proactive service aligned with its growth objectives. More than just a service provider, Gandi Corporate Services positions itself as a trusted, long-term partner, supporting hundreds of brands every day in protecting, enhancing, and sustaining their online identity.

Discover Gandi Corporate Services’ expertise on our website today : gandicorporate.com/en/