Tencent Holdings Ltd and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd own e-commerce platforms that have been included to the US government’s latest “Notorious marketplaces” list, according to the US Trade Representative’s office. The list includes 42 online markets and 35 physical markets that have been accused of engaging in or facilitating significant trademark counterfeiting or copyright theft.
This includes recognising AliExpress and the WeChat e-commerce ecosystem for the first time, two major China-based online markets that are said to allow considerable trademark counterfeiting. The list continues to include China-based online markets Baidu Wangpan, DHGate, Pinduoduo, and Taobao, as well as nine physical markets in China “that are recognised for the manufacture, distribution, and sale of counterfeit goods,” according to the US Trade Representative’s office.
Companies’ reputations suffer as a result of their inclusion on the list, although there are no immediate consequences. The research was praised by industry groups such as the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) and the Motion Picture Association. For years, trade tensions have existed between the United States and China on topics such as taxes, technology, and intellectual property, among others.
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