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Every once in awhile, you stumble across something that makes you say, "how did I not realize this existed?" or "I wish I would've found this years ago!"

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<a href="http://fieldagent.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Field Agent</a> made me say both of those things. This service has existed for four years, but I somehow just learned of it. This service is designed to crowdsource market research. &nbsp;Retail brands can create an account on the site and post "job" listings.

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Individual users--who can be anyone--download the mobile app and&nbsp;sign up to be “Agents” who can take on assigned investigative jobs, which are offered to them based on their shopping habits and geographic location. For example, a retail brand might ask an Agent has to check out the price of a particular item on a particular shelf of a grocery store or to see whether a product is sold at a certain store and send in a photo.&nbsp;According to Field Agent's site, projects that require travel, like instructing Agents to “go to 445 N. Poplar Dr.”, start with a base price of $5 which includes one question. Additional photos cost $3 each and additional questions are $1 each. Video clips start at $10 and Audio at $5.

Field Agent markets itself to brands, and boasts a client list that includes Coca-Cola, P&amp;G, J&amp;J, Walgreen's, and more. &nbsp;Reading between the lines, though, reveals that this app can be a great tool for the IP litigation attorneys working for companies like these, and many more besides. &nbsp;Lawyers who (like me) handle trademark, copyright and patent disputes find themselves in need of research like this all the time. &nbsp;We need to know if, and how, infringing goods are being sold in the marketplace.

The typical way for lawyers to get this information is through a private investigator. &nbsp;But the&nbsp;cost of a Field Agent “job” is far less than having a private investigator do the run. &nbsp;That said, I don't see crowdsourcing replacing professional investigators anytime soon. But as a supplemental tool for gaining quick, affordable information about what's happening in the marketplace, Field Agent holds a lot of promise for the legal profession. &nbsp;I've already been told one story of the service being used to spot infringement, and I'm sure there will be many more similar tales to come.

<em>***I have no material connection with Field Agent and have not received anything of value for this post.</em>

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Field Agent – a Crowdsourced IP Enforcement Tool

The Warner Norcross + Judd LLP lawyer responsible for the contents of our advertising and this website is managing partner <a href="/people/mark-j-wassink/" aria-label="Mark Wassink">Mark Wassink</a> who can be reached at <a href="mailto:mwassink@wnj.com" aria-label="email Mark Wassink">mwassink@wnj.com</a> or 616.752.2189. Please read our full <a href="/privacy-policy/" aria-label="see privacy policy">privacy policy</a> available on our website.

Field Agent – a Crowdsourced IP Enforcement Tool

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