Alibaba has launched an English-language version of its fakes hotline after it signed exclusive deals with international retailers in a push to draw more global brands to its platform. China has gained a reputation for knock-off products and Alibaba has been trying to combat the problem on its own e-commerce sites over the past year.
The latest move is an attempt to make reporting fake goods on Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms – Taobao and Tmall – easier for Western firms. TaoProtect – its intellectual property reporting system – is now in English to make it easier for Western retailers to report knock-off goods to Alibaba.
Alibaba has an army of volunteers as well as around 2,000 employees dedicated to finding fake goods. Earlier this year, the Chinese e-commerce giant hired around 300 people to form a specialized unit to tackle counterfeit products.
(Source: CNBC)