Auto Care Association urges relabeling of Alibaba as counterfeit auto part market

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Blasting Alibaba’s enforcement against counterfeit products as unsatisfactory, the Auto Care Association has urged the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to relist Alibaba as a notorious market for counterfeit auto parts.

“Despite Alibaba’s efforts to address the proliferation of counterfeit products, our members report that their brand protection tools and enforcement program have been unsatisfactory,” Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association, said. “Not only do counterfeit products threaten the U.S. economy, and impact our members’ sales and brand value, counterfeit auto parts do not comply with any safety regulations and are a danger to the safety of consumers.”

The statement was released in a letter to the USTR, following a request for comments in identifying internet and physical markets outside the United States that contribute to piracy and trademark counterfeiting. If so addressed, Alibaba would be relisted along with its whole family of e-commerce platforms, including Taobao and AliExpress.

Members of the Auto Care Association had complained about online business to business and e-commerce sites based in China that have allowed the advertisement of branded counterfeit products for sale at costs that significantly undercut the original products. In its letter, the Auto Care Association also laid out a list of principles they felt the company should adopt to address the growth of counterfeiting efforts on its platforms.