US counterfeit hearing praises China's effective policies

A recent hearing of the United States House Judiciary Committee has recognized Alibaba Group's ongoing efforts to fight counterfeits through the use of technology.

Representative Doug Collins told a hearing on Friday that Alibaba is doing the most to curb fake products by employing cutting-edge technologies to scan for and detect counterfeits and working closely with brand owners.

"We recently held a round-table to hear from brand owners and platforms on the issue. Which platform has demonstrated it is truly committed to stopping the sale of counterfeits and protecting consumers? By most accounts, it is Alibaba," he said.

Collins said he learned Alibaba's anti-counterfeiting policies and programs are "significantly more effective than any of their US counterparts". He added, "I find it shocking that the US counterparts are so far behind."

Collins also took his time to call out Amazon, eBay and Walmart for not being present, saying they cannot afford to "hide from this discussion".

"The way you solve problems is not by avoidance, but by actually taking the issues on. We're trying to make this better for you and the customer," he said.

Alibaba's intellectual property rights protection body, named the Alibaba Anti-Counterfeiting Alliance, has seen its membership rise from 30 at the alliance's establishment in 2017 to 132, Matthew Bassiur, vice-president and head of global IP enforcement at Alibaba, told China Daily in April. The group now includes luxury brands such as Richemont, Burberry and Louis Vuitton.

Alibaba uses technologies and algorithms to spot and take down infringing items before they even get on platforms, sending out alerts for products with a strikingly high proportion of customer complaints and looking into its manufacturing, distribution and supply chain.

The US patent and Trademark Office receives approximately 400,000 trademark applications per year, with about 60,000 of those originating from China, according to official data.