2024 marked a new milestone for Alibaba International’s efforts in IP protection in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Amid double-digit growth, the company’s international business made strategic moves and deepened ties with the APAC IP community to enhance intellectual property rights (IPR) protection in the dynamic and thriving market.
Strategic Global IP Team Expansion
In early 2024, Alibaba’s Global IP Enforcement team expanded its presence in APAC. Daniel Dougherty, Senior Director and APAC regional head (excluding China), was seconded to the region, where the team added new members Mizi Park, based in Seoul, and Joyce Ang and Janelle Tan, both located in Singapore.
This expansion, complimenting existing IP specialists in the U.S., Europe, Latin America and China, has allowed for greater regional focus, particularly related to AliExpress in Korea and the Lazada platforms in Southeast Asia.
Addressing Regional Needs
A key APAC priority in 2024 was enhancing Alibaba’s robust IP protection resources to better support stakeholders.
South Korea, for example, provides a prime example with Alibaba offering more tailored support for rights holders and implementing a Korean language interface within the IP Protection (IPP) Platform as well as a Korean language online reporting form, and dedicated Korean language support. These adjustments led to a notable 36% increase in Korean rights holder registrations on the IPP Platform.
Simultaneously, AI-driven proactive efforts by AliExpress in Korea expanded protections to over 8,000 Korean brands, enabling AliExpress’ proactive technologies to identify and remove many times more listings than those reported by all Korean rights holders combined.
AliExpress showed the lowest infringement volume among all major platforms in Korea during the Korea IP Office’s three month pilot program monitoring infringement of 10 Korean brands last year.
Expanding Engagement Among IP Stakeholders
Strengthening engagement among regional IP communities was another key achievement in 2024. The APAC-based Global IP Enforcement team members actively collaborated with a diverse community of stakeholders, including rights holders, industry associations, academia, law enforcement, and policy makers. Highlights from 2024 included:
- Reaffirming Alibaba’s collaboration with React—the Anti-Counterfeiting Network, through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during React’s Asia Annual Meeting in Laos.
- Renewing an MoU with the Korea Intellectual Protection Agency (KOIPA), and participating in multiple initiatives as a member of KOIPA’s Anti-Counterfeiting Council.
- Sharing Alibaba’s approach to IP protection during the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office’s Indo-Pacific Workshop in Bangkok.
- Presenting at workshops on tackling counterfeit alcohol organized by the Malaysia Joint Economic Trade Committee and the British High Commission, and held across Malaysia.
- Partnering with the International Trademark Association (INTA) through sponsorship of its consumer awareness initiative, the Unreal Campaign, and holding the first training in South Korea to educate Sejong University students on counterfeit risks. In addition, the recently established Fashion IP Center (FIPC), under the Korea Fashion Industry Association, joined the training.
Tackling Infringements Offline
Alibaba continues to dedicate significant efforts to support offline investigations through collaboration with law enforcement and rights holders across the APAC region. In 2024, Alibaba International proactively generated more than 70 leads regarding targets in Korea and other countries identified as consistently buying products in bulk on Alibaba.com or AliExpress.
A notable success came through the partnership between Lazada and the Alliance Against Counterfeit Spirits (AACS) to combat counterfeit spirits in Malaysia. In April 2024, this collaboration helped to trace the seller’s whereabouts, leading to a successful raid by the Malaysia Ministry of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living (KPDN). The operation resulted in the seizure of counterfeit spirits of renowned brands.
We are grateful to Alibaba International and Lazada for the collaboration and support. The enforcement action not only protects intellectual property rights but protects consumers from buying and consuming counterfeit spirits unknowingly.
Looking Ahead: Building on Momentum
Building on 2024’s progress, Alibaba International’s Global IP Enforcement team plans to deepen cooperation and launch new initiatives across APAC in 2025.
“We remain committed to setting new standards for IP protection and fostering an inclusive community of IPR stakeholders in this dynamic region,” states Matthew Bassiur, Vice President and Head of the Global IP Enforcement team. “Dan and the team have done a great job, and through continued collaboration with IPR stakeholders in the region we can achieve even more in 2025.”
To learn more about Alibaba’s 2024 IP protection accomplishments in APAC and internationally, read the Alibaba International 2024 IPR Protection Annual Report.
