Animation studio ZAG sets up anti-piracy unit

The studio behind the massively popular Miraculous animation series – ZAG – has launched an anti-piracy division in a bid to protect sales of merchandise, which are expected to reach more than $1 billion this year.

The studio has hired Marie-Claire Trinh Van Hi and Bei Zhou as brand protection specialists (pictured left to right below), who will report to Christophe Vallade, ZAG's vice president global e-commerce, and work in conjunction with the company head of legal and litigation Ben Johnson.

Their roles will involve scanning online marketplaces to detect, report, and remove counterfeit content and merchandise, leading investigations to reduce fakes in the supply chain, and protecting the company's content by monitoring websites and social media channels.

"ZAG has seen staggering growth over the past few years, with retail sales for Miraculous hitting over one billion dollars this year," said Julian Zag, the company's executive vice president for global consumer products.

"Any brand that has amassed such a passionate following creates opportunities for counterfeit content and goods to be created," he added. "Our new team will work to ensure that all products and content that fans engage with are approved by ZAG offering the quality and satisfaction they have come to expect."

ZAG's flagship show is Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir which focuses on two Parisian teenagers who transform into superheroes to protect the city from supervillains.