Alibaba was once almost synonymous with fakes and counterfeit products. This was in many ways an undeserved reputation and the problem was more a China problem than an Alibaba issue. Chinese consumers have changed however and as a new middle class became more affluent the desire for genuine authentic products has never been greater. Alibaba has for years focused on eliminating fakes and working with brands to protect their IP including taking a number of Alibaba merchants to court.
Alibaba have released annual highlights on their brand protection practices and the results they have seen over the course of the past year. Notably, they report the number of takedown requests concerning fakes and counterfeit productson its platforms declined 44%, while brand participation increased 36%.
Alibaba removed 23 times more listings proactively compared to those removed as a result of takedown requests. And 97% of those proactive takedowns were made before a single sale took place. They also report improvements to their fakes and counterfeit products notice and takedown program, enhancements making it easier for small businesses to protect their IP rights, support of law enforcement investigations and taking infringers to court.
Today, Alibaba do more than almost any other marketplace to ensure that products sold on their platform are authentic, perhaps the reason that 76% of the world’s most valuable consumer brands now sell on Alibaba.
If you are considering selling on Alibaba in China you can be assured that your IP will be protected and if another merchant infringes your IP then their listings will be removed and for the most prolific infringers Alibaba will take legal action.
