SAN FRANCISCO and LONDON, May 8 /PRNewswire/ --

- Auction Monitoring Solution Uncovers Identities of Unlicensed Sellers and Empowers H&M's Global Security Team to Shut Down Illegal Auction Listings

MarkMonitor(R), the leader in online corporate identity protection, today announced that H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M, Stockholm exchange: HMB.ST) has selected MarkMonitor's Auction Monitoring(TM) solution to help identify and eliminate online counterfeit and gray market sales of its fashion lines on illegal Internet auction listings. A key component of MarkMonitor's integrated identity protection suite of solutions, Auction Monitoring addresses escalating concerns over loss of revenue and brand erosion due to unauthorized product sales and illegal merchandising via Internet auction sites. As a global company committed to building its brand equity on a long-term basis, H&M's adoption of MarkMonitor's solution significantly strengthens its capability to combat online counterfeit and gray market diversion in the highly competitive, global fashion industry.

Founded in 1947, H&M is a global firm committed to providing high fashion and top quality at the best price and offers a wide range of well-known and highly sought after brands. Operating in 22 countries, with more than a thousand stores, H&M's brand name is synonymous with well-known, stylish, highly popular fashion. As a leader in the fashion industry, H&M has collaborated with influential fashion designers like Stella McCartney and Karl Lagerfeld, propelling the retailer to greater popularity. To manage the growing threat of counterfeit and gray market goods, H&M sought a solution that would enable the company to gain global visibility into illegal online activities and facilitate rapid reporting of fraudsters' identities worldwide.

"We suspected that our products were being sold illegally online and have not had the tools to track down and identify the perpetrators until we used Auction Monitoring," said Bjorn Norberg, General Counsel at H&M. "With MarkMonitor's solution, we can automate and more efficiently uncover the profile of those responsible and take immediate action to shut down their illegal auction listings. MarkMonitor will help us to better utilize internal resources by effectively scaling a previously time-consuming process, enhance the overall security of the company with in-depth monitoring of online fraud activities, and minimize revenue losses from counterfeit and gray market goods, so we can continue to provide quality fashion at the affordable prices that we are known for."

MarkMonitor's Auction Monitoring provides companies with insight into how their products are sold online and by whom, including location, profile and identity. The solution identifies and prioritizes abuses, sends email alerts for suspicious online auctions, and enables automated responses that allow for swift action to close down the illegal listings. Auction Monitoring is part of a comprehensive online corporate identity management solution, which includes domain management, brand protection, fraud prevention and enables corporations to protect their brands and consumers from a range of corporate identity-based threats including counterfeit goods, gray market sales, fraud, phishing, and trademark infringement.

"Online auction sites, where the identity of the seller and authenticity of the product are unknown to the buyer, provide counterfeiters with a virtual channel for distributing their goods. MarkMonitor's automated system for finding and prioritizing illegal online selling activity takes the guess work out of tracking down suspect counterfeit listings and empowers companies to take action to protect their revenues and customers," said Mark Shull, CEO of MarkMonitor. "The unauthorized sale of goods via online auctions impedes e-commerce success and growth, and it's our goal to help companies protect themselves and their customers against these types of online threats and losses."

About H&M

H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) was established in Sweden in 1947. The company's business concept is to offer fashion and quality at the best price. H&M is quoted on the O-list of the Stockholm Stock Exchange and has approximately 1,200 stores in 22 countries. H&M has more than 50,000 employees and achieved sales including VAT in 2005 of SEK 71,886 million. H&M has a wide product range that is divided into a number of different concepts for women, men, teenagers, children and cosmetics. The company's clothing collections are created by its own designers, pattern makers and buyers. For more information, visit www.hm.com.

About MarkMonitor

MarkMonitor is the global leader in delivering comprehensive online corporate identity protection services, Making the Internet Safe for Business(TM). MarkMonitor's integrated Brand and Fraud Protection(TM) platform provides full life-cycle management, including its Early Warning System(TM), as well as real-time detection, and investigation and response, to a wide and growing list of identity-based online security problems faced by corporations today. These solutions are enabled by a comprehensive brand and fraud intelligence network that monitors for inappropriate or fraudulent use of a corporate name or identity anywhere in the Internet, including web sites, search engines, major email systems, domain name systems, registries, message boards, blogs, chat rooms, and auctions. For more information, visit www.markmonitor.com.

Web site: http://www.hm.com http://www.markmonitor.com

Erick Mott of MarkMonitor, +1-415-278-8412, or erick.mott@markmonitor.com; or Alice Khounta of Antenna Group, +1-415-977-1916, or alice@antennagroup.com, for MarkMonitor