At Amazon, we recognize the importance of knowledge sharing and spreading awareness in the anti-counterfeiting space. Whether those efforts are focused on consumers or businesses, we are committed to collaborating to meet the challenge in Italy and around the world.
Since 2016, the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy (MIMIT) has organized Italy’s Anti-Counterfeiting Week as a time to talk through challenges and educate consumers, particularly young adult consumers, on the risks associated with counterfeit goods.
Amazon participated in a number of events to support the week’s 2024 campaign by presenting our latest developments in brand protection with industry leaders, institutions, and law enforcement at the event, “Policy Dialogue on Reinforcing the Protection of IPRs against Online Counterfeiting: Challenges and Remedies in the Digital Age,” organized by INDICAM, INTA, and MIMIT and participating on MIMIT’s panel discussing best practices on how to combat counterfeiting in the digital era.
“Our efforts across the public and private sector in Italy and across the EU reflect Amazon’s commitment to the long-term success of anti-counterfeiting work happening globally,” said Head of External Relations, Trust & Safety at Amazon Europe, Alessandro Nicolis. “Italy Anti-Counterfeiting Week is a great time to reflect on this work and how we collaborate with industry leaders to promote these initiatives.”
Raising awareness among businesses about the importance of intellectual property (IP)
According to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), counterfeit goods cost EU industries more than €16 billion annually. Addressing the challenge of counterfeiting is a global priority, with businesses, governments, and other industry leaders joining forces to safeguard IP and protect consumers.
When the EUIPO issued a call for expression of interest inviting marketplace service providers (MSPs) to work with the EUIPO on educating and raising awareness of IP, Amazon joined the call. Through this collaboration, Amazon works alongside the EUIPO and other participants to jointly offer training on IP topics, share IP-related information and materials, and participate in events designed to explain the benefits of IP and how to leverage it. Amazon’s efforts in the EU mirror our regional approach to anti-counterfeiting and working with others to raise awareness about the importance of protecting IP across Italy:
- In 2024, Amazon signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with several key Italian ministries: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), MIMIT, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forestry (MASAF). The MoU aims to promote and protect the authenticity of Made in Italy products by raising awareness about the risks of counterfeits and jointly organizing anti-counterfeiting initiatives that support Italian brands and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
- In 2024, a year after signing an MoU on counterfeiting with the Ministry of Internal Affairs – Criminal Analysis Service (CAS), the Ministry presented its first joint report with Amazon, “Online Counterfeiting: Analysis of the phenomenon, modus operandi and law enforcement actions.” The report summarizes our respective anti-counterfeiting experiences and aims to more closely unite the public and private sectors in Italy through knowledge sharing initiatives, providing guidance for those involved in IP protection, and safeguarding consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the Made in Italy sector. The Italian association for the protection of IP, INDICAM, also participated in the publication.
Collaborating to teach Generation Z about the risks of counterfeits
In February 2024, Amazon and INDICAM launched “Challenge the Fake,” a competition challenging more than 600 students at H-FARM College in Italy to create a marketing campaign promoting a culture where Gen Z perceives counterfeit products as “uncool.” As students signed up to participate, they divided into groups and began building plans for their campaigns. Over the next three months, they met regularly with Amazon, INDICAM, and SHADO, the marketing communication agency for H-FARM, to discuss their progress and receive mentorship and support. By April, it was time to present their work to more than 200 of their peers and a panel of judges—including an official from the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. The winning campaign, “DEFAKE Contest,” created by Leonardo Brustolin, Yasin Dibouch, and Luca Granieri, proposed a social media contest featuring musicians rapping about the importance of purchasing original items. Recordings of freestyle sessions and actual tracks communicated how “uncool” buying counterfeit actually is. After the competition, the student winners visited Amazon’s HQ in Milan and presented their project in front of INDICAM and Amazon teams.
“Working closely with Amazon, H-Farm, INDICAM, and SHADO to learn more about counterfeit products and how to spread awareness about the risks they pose was an amazing experience,” said Brustolin. “We learned so much about the impact that counterfeits have on the world and how to effectively build a campaign that spreads the word to a specific audience. It was an amazing experience I’ll never forget.”
“Engaging young people and looking at innovation trends are major goals in the fight against counterfeiting,” said Juna Shehu, managing director of INDICAM. “Monitoring the e-commerce world is essential for us today, therefore collaborating with players that are committed to our mission—like Amazon, which has been a member of INDICAM since November 2023—has a strategic value.”
During Italy’s Anti-Counterfeiting Week, the DEFAKE project was showcased to students from the Italian Guardia di Finanza in L’Aquila at an event organized by the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy, focusing on consumer awareness among young people. The event was also broadcasted live to all schools in Italy and Italian education institutions abroad, emphasizing the importance of intellectual property and counterfeiting prevention.
At Amazon, we are committed to driving counterfeits to zero. To get there, we invest in our people and technology while working across sectors to educate businesses on the importance of IP and consumers on the risks counterfeit goods pose. During Italy Anti-Counterfeiting Week and beyond, we will continue to leverage these collaborations to scale the impact of educational initiatives across Italy, the EU, and the world.
To learn more about our anti-counterfeiting work, visit our Anti-Counterfeiting page.