Amazon, US Property Rights Agency Join To Battle Counterfeit Goods

The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) and mega-retailer Amazon have begun “a joint operation to prevent counterfeit goods from entering the U.S.,” Amazon announced in a Tuesday (Nov. 24) press release. The operation will “help protect consumers” and will be joined by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and DHL.

“The IPR Center plays a critical role in securing the global supply chain,” said IPR Center Director Steve Francis. “However, our efforts are increased with partners like Amazon to identify, interdict, and investigate individuals, companies, and criminal organizations engaging in the illegal importation of counterfeit products.”

The news release said the joint operation “will analyze data and conduct targeted inspections aimed at preventing counterfeit products from entering the U.S. supply chain.” The IPR Center and Amazon will apply the evidence gathered “to expand ongoing investigations, with the goal of holding bad actors accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

This operation will be led by Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit, which was created earlier this year to support law enforcement investigations and to initiate civil litigation against counterfeiters.

“Amazon conducts investigations and sidelines inventory if we suspect a product may be counterfeit — ensuring our customers are protected,” said Dharmesh Mehta, Amazon vice president for customer trust and partner support. “But we also know that counterfeiters don’t just attempt to offer their wares in one store, they attempt to offer them in multiple places. Now, by combining intelligence from Amazon, the IPR Center, and other agencies, we’re able to stop counterfeits at the border, regardless of where bad actors were intending to offer them.”

In June, Amazon and Italian luxury brand Maison Valentino filed a lawsuit regarding counterfeit goods. The suit was filed against Buffalo, N.Y.-based retailer Kaitlyn Pan Group and New York resident Hao Pan for allegedly counterfeiting Valentino’s Garavani Rockstud shoes and offering them for sale on its own website as well as on Amazon.

The plaintiffs allege the sales are “in violation of Amazon’s policies and Valentino’s intellectual property rights.”