Trade groups ask Alibaba to ‘properly address’ counterfeiting

E-commerce website Alibaba has reportedly been asked by a number of trade groups to “properly address” counterfeiting in a transparent, efficient and speedy manner.

The Union des Fabricants, the French Federation of Leather Goods and the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, among others, have written a letter to Alibaba asking it to address the alleged counterfeiting on its website in a “speedy manner”.

According to reports, including The Wall Street Journal (WSJ),the trade groups sent the letter to Alibaba at the end of August.

The letter said that Alibaba’s software  fails to detect images of fake products that are blurred, despite the company saying that these images violate its rules.

It added that Alibaba has taken “a great number of concrete steps” in reducing counterfeits online but that Alibaba’s promise to address counterfeits has to “compel us to focus on what has not improved”.

In July, TBO reported that Alibaba had successfully launched a new system that it said streamlined communications and collaboration to help improve intellectual property enforcement online.

The new system allows brands to identify the authenticity of a product and notify Alibaba of  any infringing listings.

The trade groups added that “trust cannot be hostage to delay” and that they are asking Alibaba “to properly address counterfeiting in a transparent, efficient and speedy manner through concrete, simple and efficient proactive measures”.

Alibaba told the WSJ on Thursday, September 1, that it “appreciates the letter’s constructive tone and looks forward to working closely with the brands represented by the trade groups, many of whom have already built successful online businesses on Alibaba platforms”.

The Union des Fabricants was founded in 1872 and is active in the defence of intellectual property rights, while the French Federation of Leather Goods represents the business interests of its member companies. The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry represents 500 Swiss firms that produce watches, components and clocks. 

This was first published on World IP Review.