CEO DATELINE - Apparel association continues feud with online Chinese retailer
CEO DATELINE - Apparel association continues feud with online Chinese retailer
- October 12, 2016 |
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Walt Williams
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The American Apparel and Footwear Association is calling on federal officials to re-list Chinese retailer Alibaba as a "notorious market" for allegedly selling counterfeit goods through its online platforms.
The call is the latest salvo in AAFA's years-long campaign against Alibaba, which has been caught selling knock-off brands in the past. And the group is not alone. The Auto Care Association also is seeking notorious market status for the company.
"Despite numerous public statements that the company is taking the counterfeit problem seriously, we have yet to see improvements on Alibaba's platforms," AAFA CEO Rick Helfenbein said. "USTR removed Alibaba from its list several years ago, on the condition that the company meet specific requirements going forward. Those requirements have not been met, and as a result American consumers and our members are paying the price."
The notorious markets list is maintained by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and includes foreign businesses that engage in copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting. Alibaba's online outlet Taobao was taken off the list in 2012 after promises by the company it would take steps to remove counterfeit goods from its selection.
U.S. associations say the company hasn't done enough to address the problem.
"Although Alibaba had been removed from the Notorious Markets list in recognition of efforts to address counterfeit activities, we remain very concerned with the drastic amount of counterfeit automotive products sold on these sites daily and the difficulty our members are experiencing in obtaining enforcement," Auto Care Association CEO Bill Hanvey said.
An Alibaba spokesman told the news site Trademarks and Brands Online the company regularly works with other companies and associations to maintain the integrity of its marketplaces. http://bit.ly/2dWtQ5r
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