Alibaba Joins Anti-Counterfeit Group as First e-Commerce Member

Alibaba is the first Internet retailer to become a member of the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (“IACC”), the largest non-profit anti-counterfeit products and piracy organization. The move comes as the Chinese e-commerce giant is working to shed its image as a haven for cheap knockoffs, which has been documented in the number of lawsuits filed by an array of luxury conglomerates and brands, including Kering – parent to Gucci, YSL, Balenciaga, and Bottega Veneta, etc.

The IACC’s 250 members include prominent apparel, electronics and luxury goods brands including Nike, Apple and Rolex. The group wants to include online marketplaces to replicate a similar partnership it forged with credit-card companies several years ago to fight counterfeit products by severing payments to their makers and sellers, says Bob Barchiesi, president of the IACC.