This gathering of intellectual property (IP) policymakers, brand protection professionals and innovators facilitated discussions around the theme of “Counterfeiting and Illicit Trade in the Digital Age”.
As a wholly not-for-profit organisation, ACG relies on its partners to drive its mission. During the conference, Amazon’s Global Director of Customer Trust, Katharine Lister, participated in the panel, “The Secrets to Fighting Transnational Counterfeiting On and Offline”, alongside Nicola Consterdine, IP Protection Manager at Epson Europe, and Jan De Visser, Brand Protection Lead at Philips. Collective knowledge-sharing initiatives like these help support global efforts to combat the challenges counterfeiting presents.
Challenges that brands face when it comes to counterfeiting
During the panel, the representatives from Amazon, Epson Europe and Philips discussed the complex challenges that brands and retailers face in fighting counterfeiting and safeguarding IP. They agreed that counterfeiting erodes trust, hinders growth and disrupts consumer confidence, noting that the landscape of counterfeiting has evolved dramatically, requiring a sophisticated and collaborative approach to solve this global issue.
One of the most significant challenges highlighted was the increasing speed and sophistication of counterfeiters, who can operate as organised transnational crime networks across different countries and product categories. Consterdine emphasised the need for flexibility, stating, “One strategy doesn’t fit all – you have to be able to adapt quickly.”
The panellists also stressed the importance of cross-border collaboration and innovation in protection strategies, with De Visser noting, “We have to cooperate a lot with each other and see what can be done jointly.”
Other key challenges discussed included managing brand protection across complex supply chains, bridging the gap between online detection and offline enforcement and educating consumers about the harmful impacts of counterfeit goods.
For a long time, we have all assumed that everyone understood what we are talking about when it comes to counterfeiting. We believe there is a general MO, but behaviours that we are seeing among criminals are constantly shifting.
Secrets to fighting counterfeiting
The panel discussion revealed several key learnings and best practices for effectively combatting counterfeiting. One of the most crucial insights was the importance of collaboration and information-sharing among brands, online retailers and law enforcement agencies.
“None of us can go alone; we’ve got to be in this fight together,” Lister emphasised. Both representatives from Epson Europe and Philips echoed this statement, sharing success stories of working closely with Amazon to identify and take down counterfeit listings and collaborating with Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU) to bring counterfeiters to justice. They concurred that building strong relationships and fostering open communication channels are essential for quick and effective responses to emerging threats.
“Our cooperation with Amazon has been very successful. This is a good example of how partnering together to stop counterfeits should work,” said De Visser. Consterdine agreed.
Collaboration has been instrumental in tackling the issue of counterfeits. By combining expertise, resources and intelligence, we’ve been able to identify and address challenges effectively.
The discussion highlighted several other crucial strategies:
- Proactive and adaptive approaches: Leveraging advanced technologies, such as Amazon’s brand protection programmes, to detect and prevent counterfeit listings before they reach consumers
- The importance of education: Informing internal stakeholders and consumers about the broader implications of counterfeiting, beyond just financial losses
- Data-driven methods and compelling storytelling: Ensuring clarity and modernity in initiatives that stop bad actors
By combining best practices focused on collaboration, adaptability, advanced technology, education and strategic communication, brands and retailers can create a more robust defence against the ever-evolving threat of counterfeiting.
In the complex world of e-commerce, collaboration is not just beneficial – it’s essential.
“Our partnership with industry players has allowed us to tackle counterfeiting issues that would be insurmountable for any single company. By sharing intelligence and coordinating our efforts, we’ve been able to dismantle entire networks of bad actors, protecting not just our brand, but consumers as well,” said De Visser.
“The global, cross-industry challenge of stopping counterfeits takes a considerable amount of effort, and no single organisation can do it alone. Having these important conversations at events such as ACG’s Annual International Conference highlights how we can be more effective by working together across the public and private sectors to ensure a trustworthy shopping experience,” said Lister. “We’re encouraged by the success we have seen and will continue to expand upon these efforts in order to innovate and protect brands and customers.”
“Stopping counterfeiting is a global challenge that demands strong cross-industry partnerships. The success of our conference demonstrates the power of these alliances,” said ACG Director General, Phil Lewis. “Our joint efforts have not only delivered a world-class event, but have also strengthened ACG and Amazon’s working relationship. This partnership positions us to better protect brands and consumers alike, showing how, together, we can effectively tackle the evolving challenges in anti-counterfeiting efforts.”
Learn more about our approach to anti-counterfeiting and protecting intellectual property.