Full Report
or maybe not… The twitters informed me that Singe uncovered a case of brand plagiarism!!!1! -snip- -snip- So lets review.. the logo looks shockingly the same they no doubt, behind closed doors refer to themselves as SP too just based on their staff numbers, they probably have 16 good looking people there too! i had the lawyers lined up but decided to dig more info. on them first..
Analysis Summary
# Main Topic
Brand Plagiarism Claim Against a Pharmaceutical Company (Schering-Plough) Investigated by the Author, Resulting in Dismissal of Legal Action.
## Key Points
- The author initially suspected a case of brand plagiarism based on similarities in perceived branding (logo similarity, internal abbreviation usage, staff aesthetic) with a company referred to as "SP."
- The investigation revealed the suspected party to be Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP), a pharmaceutical company founded in 1851.
- The author's company, SensePost (implied by context and reference to "SP" and opening doors in 2000), considered legal action but halted due to evidence suggesting the other entity predates them significantly.
- Archived proof shows Schering-Plough was using a similar logo at least as far back as March 2000, predating SensePost's implied establishment date of 2000.
## Threat Actors
- **Alleged Perpetrator:** Schering-Plough Corporation (Pharmaceutical company).
- **Accuser/Investigator:** SensePost (Implied security/consultancy firm).
- *Note: This is a civil/legal dispute over trademarks/branding, not a conventional cyber threat actor.*
## TTPs
- The primary "TTP" involved is **Brand Misappropriation/Plagiarism** (specifically logo and naming convention).
- The author's initial investigation relied on social information ("twitters") and visual comparison before checking historical records.
- **Action Taken:** Initial preparation for legal action ("had the lawyers lined up").
## Affected Systems
- **Victim (Initial Perception):** SensePost (Due to perceived brand dilution/infringement).
- **Entity Reviewed:** Schering-Plough Corporation (Pharmaceutical firm).
- *No specific technical systems were identified as being compromised or targeted.*
## Mitigations
- **Author's Mitigation:** Ceased preparation for legal action after verifying the historical usage data from Archive.org (web[.]archive[.]org).
- **General Mitigation Implied:** Thorough historical due diligence before escalating trademark disputes.
## Conclusion
The initial alarm regarding brand plagiarism against Schering-Plough proved unfounded upon historical verification. The claim was dismissed because the "copycat" entity was established much earlier (founded 1851, logo confirmed 2000) than the author's organization (SensePost, established 2000). Due diligence successfully negated the need for further escalation.