Amazon has been waging war against counterfeits for years. The corporation has tried everything from charging high fees to promote big names to letting brands issue takedowns. Now, Amazon is planning to provide more data on counterfeits to law enforcement, in hopes that it can result in further crackdowns, a source familiar with the program told Reuters.
Before now, Amazon had disclosed merchant info to European and US authorities when it thought it had enough dirt to pursue the offender. Now, it’s going to report retailers each time it confirms a counterfeit is offered, Reuters’ source says. Amazon will share the product owner’s name, firm name, product, and contact data, though it will first shut the seller’s account and permit the seller to attempt an appeal.
It is unclear why Amazon is changing its strategy now. Late last year, Nike announced that it’d not sell its shoes and attire on the platform. Some speculated that Amazon’s counterfeit downside might have played a part. By taking a harsher stance towards fakes, Amazon might be attempting to reassure sellers that counterfeiters will not merely get a slap on the wrist.