Pursuits
Alibaba Joins Anti-Counterfeit Group as First E-Commerce Member
- Online marketplace joins global coalition to clean up image
- Chinese retailer remains under scrutiny from regulators
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Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. will be the first Internet retailer to become a member of the largest nonprofit global organization that fights counterfeit products and piracy, part of the Chinese company’s effort to shed its image as a haven for cheap brand knockoffs.
The company has joined the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition, which unveiled a new type of membership for “intermediaries” such as online marketplaces where counterfeits -- everything from headphones to designer purses and sports memorabilia -- can flourish. Alibaba reaches more than 400 million online shoppers in China, mostly through its Tmall and Taobao sites.