A playbook
Protect your brand and IP
Trademark your name, fight counterfeits, and handle customer data right.
3 steps, 18 questions, laid out in the order you'll hit them
Each step is a topic with the real questions D2C founders ask; open whichever one you're stuck on for the answer and the resources on it.
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1
Trademark & brand IP
Own your name before someone else does.
Should I trademark my brand name before I even launch, or can it wait till I have traction? 4 → How do I check if my brand name is already taken before I fall in love with it? 4 → What trademark class do I actually file under for my D2C brand, just one, or more? 3 → How much does trademark registration actually cost and how long does it take in India? 3 → What's the difference between the ™ I'm already using and getting an actual registered ®? 3 → All 6 questions in Trademark & brand IP → -
2
Counterfeits & IP enforcement
Stop fakes and hijackers on marketplaces and your store.
How do I get my brand onto Amazon Brand Registry and Project Zero to fight counterfeits? 4 → What's Flipkart's equivalent, and how do I actually report a fake or unauthorised listing there? 3 → Someone's hijacked my own product listing and is undercutting my price, what do I do? 3 → Do I need a trademark before I can even start protecting my brand, and how do I register one in India? 3 → My brand is being sold as fake on Instagram and WhatsApp, not just on marketplaces, what do I do? 3 → All 6 questions in Counterfeits & IP enforcement → -
3
Data privacy & the DPDP Act
Handle customer data legally under India's DPDP Act.
Do I actually need to worry about DPDP as a small D2C brand, or is this a big-company problem? 3 → What exactly counts as valid consent under DPDP for my checkout and signup forms? 3 → What do I need to put in my privacy policy, and how do I actually draft one? 4 → What tools should I use to get DPDP-compliant without hiring a lawyer for every step? 3 → What actually happens to my brand if I don't comply, what are the real penalties? 3 → All 6 questions in Data privacy & the DPDP Act →