Active exchange with affected brand owners should form the basis of the so-called Joint Force System, so that counterfeits can be discovered more quickly and forced off the market. Every business that participates in the new anti-counterfeiting initiative will have its own customer service partner and access to an online platform that facilitates cooperation.
If Alibaba discovers potential counterfeits in its online marketplaces, the original manufacturer will be informed via his individual account about the suspicious offer, which he can then check for authenticity. If the suspicions are confirmed, he can report this to Alibaba via his account. This should make it possible for counterfeits to be quickly deleted by Alibaba, even if the internet giant itself can’t identify them with certainty.
This is an important step for Alibaba, as the company frequently faces serious accusations from various brand owners due to the large numbers of counterfeits on its sales platform. Yet many businesses have already begun to seek cooperation with Alibaba, explained a company press speaker. Adidas, Procter & Gamble, Mars, and Phillips count among the companies that have opted to participate in the new initiative.
„In the face of such a complex problem, we can’t be complaining about each other or criticising each other,“ emphasised Jessie Zheng, Chief Platform Governance Officer at Alibaba, continuing, „Our only choice is to join forces.“ For this reason, the approximately 700 companies that participated in Alibaba’s previous anti-piracy program, “Good Faith Takedown,” can also receive access to the Joint Force Initiative as well as new companies interested in a cooperation.
