Amazon has open (Opens in a new tab) It has helped law enforcement agencies crack down on three major counterfeiting operations in China, thanks to intelligence provided by the company’s Counterfeiting Crime Unit (CCU).
Almost a quarter of a million counterfeit goods were seized in Guangdong and Jiangxi provinces as a result of Amazon’s cooperation. Replica brands included BMW, Porsche, General Motors, Hugo Boss, Puma and Under Armour.
None of the above items reached Amazon customers, or even had a chance to move along the supply chain, as the company added that any listings on the site linked to counterfeiters have since been removed.
Cooperation in the fight against crime
The intelligence provided by the CCU included the locations of the warehouses, which were passed on to local authorities. The main suspects are being investigated by the Public Security Bureaus (PSB) in China.
Last year, Amazon found and seized more than three million counterfeit products, including some products in fulfillment centers intended for customer consumption.
In addition to counterfeit goods, Amazon worked with PSBs to detain 84 individuals who obtained false business identities and licenses to create seller accounts on the site. The company also claims that 2.5 million other actors have been prevented from creating seller accounts.
It also filed joint lawsuits with famous brands – including Cartier, WWE and FELCO – whose merchandise was illegally copied. In 2021, it filed a lawsuit or referred the investigation of more than 600 criminals across Europe, China and the United States.
“Our efforts to identify and dismantle counterfeit organizations are working,” said CCU Director Kebharu Smith. He added his appreciation for “a law acting on our referrals and meticulously implementing these cases.”
Dharmesh Mehta, Vice President of Global Selling Partner Services at Amazon, added that “while we are proud of the progress we have made, we will not stop until we get to zero, and we will continue to invest and innovate until we get there.”