Alibaba and top UK business group sign IP accord

The China-Britain Business Council and the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group have signed a memorandum of understanding that reinforces the processes Alibaba Group already has in place to protect intellectual property.

Under the agreement, signed on Sept 3, Alibaba has agreed to work with council member companies to remove product listings subject to take down notices from companies alleging that they infringe their intellectual property rights.

The council will provide guidance to its member companies on how to use Alibaba's existing IP protection and notice and take down systems, and will work with Alibaba's Internet security team, putting council member companies with particular concerns directly in touch with them where appropriate.

The agreement tackles one of the main concerns of British companies doing business in China. It will also be welcomed by members of the council and other British companies seeking to capitalize on the emergence of the Chinese consumer and the rapid rise of e-commerce in the country.

Stephen Phillips, the council's chief executive, said: "CBBC is committed to making sure that British companies in all sectors are in a position to capitalize on the vast and growing opportunities in China's e-commerce sector, safe in the knowledge that their hard-won, world-leading expertise is secure in the online marketplace."