China’s Alibaba Group has become the first e-commerce company to join the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC).
The IACC is the world’s largest non-profit anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy organisation. Alibaba’s membership to the General Member category of the IACC is a step forward for the online arena, where fake goods are an increasing threat to the safety of consumers and business’ reputations.
Matthew Bassiur, Vice President and Head of Global IP Enforcement at Alibaba Group, said: “Preserving the integrity of Alibaba’s marketplaces is a top priority. Counterfeiting is a global, industry-wide issue and effective collaboration with brands, retailers, trade associations, governments and other industry partners is a key component to our overall success. IACC membership will further enhance our earnest efforts to forge closer relationships with brands as we continue to explore and implement innovative solutions to address counterfeiting.”
Bob Barchiesi, President of the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition, added: “With the pace at which the market is moving, the successful e-commerce platforms will be those who build the right strategic partnerships to ensure safe and trusted marketplaces. We encourage more industry players to join in our efforts.”
Alibaba, the operator of Tmall, has more than 407 million annual active shoppers on its China retail marketplaces.
