Earlier this week, Alibaba and the IACC launched an expansion of the IACC MarketSafe Program, under which Alibaba, the IACC and participating brands collaborate to identify and take down infringing listings on Alibaba’s marketplaces. I want to explain the significance of this partnership and why these joint efforts are critical in our ongoing fight against counterfeits.
Key to Winning War on Counterfeits
Ultimately, Alibaba and brands share a common enemy: counterfeiters. Partnering together is critical to our collective cause. This is why we applaud the IACC’s bold leadership and approach to include market intermediaries such as Alibaba in the fight.
This fight is far too prevalent and complex for a single company to handle on its own. Alibaba’s platforms are home to thousands of global brands ranging from Nike to Apple, Starbucks, P&G and Burberry, so we get it: brands face serious issues of counterfeit goods. This is a problem both online and offline, all over the world. Anti-counterfeiting in the digital era requires a new model: a model based on intelligent data, and a model in which we all work together. In order to find solutions to this problem, we must sit together at the table, lock arms, and focus on what we can do together as an industry.
The announcement we made to expand the IACC MarketSafe program is proof of what can happen with this type of cooperation. It is significant because it makes the program available to any brand, at no cost. Equally importantly, it enables participating brands to work with Alibaba to take down suspect listings with a streamlined, expedited procedure. The burden shifts away from the brand, no longer having to produce specific evidence of counterfeiting on each and every notice submission.
We have witnessed tremendous success since the initial IACC MarketSafe program was launched two years ago, and we hope all brands will join us in this expanded effort. The more we work together, the more effective we will be in this fight.
Alibaba is committed to being a global leader in the fight against the production and sale of counterfeits and we have a track record of providing constructive solutions. In addition to programs like MarketSafe, we also invest heavily in proactive efforts, as we collaborate with law enforcement, using intelligent data, to find the source of the problem: the manufacturers. Alibaba is the online channel, but we are also focused on the offline issues at the production and distribution levels.
We are part of the solution, and we will continue to cooperate with brands and industry associations, rather than resorting to unproductive tactics. Those who have a financial interest in IP litigation would rather pit the brands against Alibaba, using public relations tactics that are not in the interest of anyone except themselves.
We must focus on what we can do collaboratively as an industry, leveraging our combined experiences, expertise, and resources. Global problems demand global solutions.
