AAFA calls for Alibaba to take a stand on counterfeiting
22/07/2015
The AAFA-proposed plan outlines four key elements: easy brand certification; brand- controlled “take-downs”; brand-approved sales; and a transparent verification process. “Take-downs” are the process in which a counterfeit product is removed from a site.
AAFA CEO Juanita Duggan said: “We are asking for Alibaba to begin addressing counterfeits in a manner that is transparent, comprehensible, and fast. We are asking for Alibaba to create a process whereby Alibaba removes counterfeits quickly at the request of certified brands.
“The ultimate metric is whether counterfeits on the sites are permanently removed, and right now, they are not. On any given day, a simple search of a brand will yield hundreds, if not thousands, of results at alarmingly low prices – a giveaway that the products are fake.”
AAFA represents more than 1,000 clothing, shoe, and lifestyle brands. Over the last four years, the association has been engaged in conversations with Alibaba representatives on the problem of counterfeits on its Taobao site but has seen no progress, it claims. It estimates the total impact of intellectual property theft on the US fashion industry was $68 billion in 2013.
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