AAFA report includes three Amazon marketplaces in submission to USTR on counterfeiting

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Oct 4, 2018

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has included Amazon’s UK, Canada, and Germany-based websites in its submission to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) that identifies foreign markets that facilitate the sale of counterfeit goods.

As part of the USTR’s 2018 Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review of Notorious Markets, the AAFA has identified Amazon’s UK, German, and Canadian marketplaces as engaging in and facilitating substantial copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting.

"Amazon has been a leader of, and has made valuable contributions to, the future of retail. We believe Amazon can, and should, be a leader in the fight against counterfeits,” said Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO of the AAFA in a press release.

“Identifying the sale of counterfeit products is crucial to our ongoing efforts to defend American intellectual property, American jobs, and American consumers,” explained Helfenbein. “The annual review of Notorious Markets by the Office of the United States Trade Representative is essential in this process.” In its submission, the AAFA’s submission to the USTR focuses on marketplaces that it deems put its members at a “significant disadvantage” and sell a “substantial amount” of counterfeit goods, according to Helfenbein.

The two main concerns over the retailing of counterfeit goods are damage to the intellectual property of the business that first manufactured the goods and the fact that many counterfeit goods do not meet safety regulations. The AAFA has stated that it is willing to work with businesses to help them improve their protection efforts.

The AAFA also stated that, as counterfeit product manufacturers are constantly seeking new ways to sell illegal goods, businesses must continue to review their efforts against this to stay up to date. Helfenbein added: “We think it is reasonable to expect leading ecommerce giants to commit to safeguarding American intellectual property.”

The AAFA also made a case against the US administration’s use of punitive tariffs on imports. Although such tariffs are designed to discourage intellectual property theft and forced technology transfer, the organisation believes that such measures could conversely encourage it.