Holger Gensmantel, Head of Trademarks, shares how Questel supports the brand defense strategy at Carl Zeiss AG, and the benefits of integrating online brand protection with advanced trademark search tools.
Carl Zeiss AG (ZEISS) needed a more effective way to monitor and enforce its trademark rights online while improving the efficiency of trademark search workflows. By partnering with Questel and leveraging our Online Brand Protection solution (and Pliano® case management system) together with Markify ProSearch™, ZEISS has strengthened its brand defense strategy and accelerated daily trademark operations.
About Carl Zeiss AG
Carl Zeiss AG is a global leader in optics and optoelectronics, headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. Founded in 1846, the company focuses on four key segments: semiconductor manufacturing technology, industrial quality and research, medical technology, and consumer markets. It employs over 46,000 people worldwide and serves as the strategic management holding company of the ZEISS Group, wholly owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation.
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The Challenge: Increasing Complexity of Online Brand Protection
ZEISS faced rapidly growing volumes of online activity affecting its brand, including potential infringements across websites, marketplaces, and other digital channels. Traditional monitoring methods were time‑consuming and fragmented, making it difficult to maintain a comprehensive and actionable view of threats.
Simultaneously, ZEISS needed to optimize trademark search workflows to support faster decision‑making and reduce the administrative burden on internal teams.
The Solution: Integrated Online Brand Protection and Optimized Trademark Search
To meet these challenges, ZEISS partnered with Questel to implement a suite of connected trademark and online brand protection solutions:
- Centralized Brand Defense with Proactive Online Brand Protection
Questel’s online brand protection solution uses advanced monitoring algorithms and customized enforcement workflows to detect, categorize, and resolve infringements efficiently—with all data centralized and tracked in the Pliano® case management system.
The solution provides ZEISS with:
✔ Centralized detection of online trademark misuse
✔ Clear prioritization of potential infringements
✔ Tailored enforcement workflows
✔ Real‑time visibility into ongoing cases and outcomes
“Pliano® has become an essential tool for detecting and effectively combating trademark infringements on the internet, helping us to defend the value and reputation of our well‑known brand.”
Holger Gensmantel
Carl Zeiss AG
Head of Trademarks
- Faster, More Accurate Trademark Searches with Markify ProSearch™
Questel’s Markify ProSearch ™ platform enables high‑accuracy clearance searches with industry‑leading similarity algorithms, helping ZEISS accelerate assessments and eliminate manual search inefficiencies.
Key Results
✔ Significant time savings in trademark searches through Markify ProSearch™
✔ Clearer overview of online infringements across platforms
✔ More effective enforcement, supported by streamlined workflows
✔ Stronger online brand defense and faster decision‑making
The Benefits of a Collaborative Solution
By choosing Questel’s integrated online brand protection and trademark search solutions, ZEISS has benefited from centralized visibility, faster workflows, and more effective online enforcement, as well as the support of a trusted partner. This collaboration helps ensure its well‑known brand remains protected in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
“We got to know highly motivated and customer‑oriented teams.”
Holger Gensmantel
Carl Zeiss AG
Head of Trademarks
Experience working with Questel, as rated by Zeiss
ZEISS rated its overall experience with Questel 4/5 stars, emphasizing the strength of the collaboration:
Ready to strengthen your online brand protection activities and streamline trademark operations? Discover how you can achieve similar results by exploring our resources on modern brand protection strategies, or connect with our experts to learn more about Questel’s integrated brand protection and trademark search solutions.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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