For example, Liquid Audio, based in Redwood City, California, relies mainly on its own brand of encryption, which ensures that each piece of music sent out is encoded so that only the intended recipient can play it.

ECONOMIST: In the picture

Though the company is declining from its current level of 69% market share given the pace of growth in the Chinese market, it still has many advantages over its peers mainly in the form of brand name and large number of subscribers.

FORBES: China Mobile Loses Share But Still Adding Beaucoup Subscribers

The brand never quite made it off the ground, mainly due to issues related to the 2008 financial crisis and resulting economic fallout.

FORBES: Kobe Bryant's New Swiss Watch Brand Endorsement

Japanese clients have cared far less than western ones about conflicts of interest because they have used ad agencies mainly as media-space securers rather than brand defenders.

ECONOMIST: Promoting brands

Adidas, the world's second largest sportswear maker, has reported a loss for the last three months of 2012, mainly owing to impairment charges relating to its Reebok brand.

BBC: Reebok trainers